Daughter of the Demon
by Churnok
Summary: A sequel to the episode Kid Stuff. Morgan Le Fey comes to Jason and Etrigan because she needs their help to find their runaway daughter before it's too late.
1. Old Foes and New Friends

**Daughter of the Demon**

**By Churnok**

**Disclaimer**

**Maeve is my creation and is not to be used without my permission. All other characters are the property of DC and Warner Brothers and are used here for non-profit entertainment purposes only. Permission is given to anyone who wants to archive this story as long as they let me know first and give me a link to their site. I welcome any comments, questions, and/or constructive criticisms. This story takes place after Kid Stuff. **

**Old Foes and New Friends**

Jason Blood sat on his living room couch and studied the antique chess set in front of him. Most people would swear that he was alone in the house, but those who knew his secret, knew that he hadn't been alone since the day he betrayed King Arthur to Morgan Le Fey, and Merlin bound him to the demon known as Etrigan. Merlin's spell would last until either Jason or Etrigan made amends by defeating the evil sorceress once and for all.

Needless to say, neither person was too happy about the arrangement at first, but they eventually came to understand and...Tolerate, each other.

Now they were settling a disagreement through a game of chess. Winner cooked dinner. In a fair game they were evenly matched, but when food was involved, the demon rarely played fair.

"Erigan, please stop doing that," Jason groaned aloud.

"Doing what?" Etrigan's deep voice inquired innocently from within his partner's head.

"I can tolerate your repertoire of Barry Manilow's greatest flops, but must you do to them what Jack Benny used to do to violin music?" the former knight said as he made his move. "Check."

"I'd stop trying to distract you if you would just let me make dinner tonight."

Jason watched as Etrigan took control of his left hand and countered his move.

"The last time we ate your Holy Chili I had to follow it with a whole bottle of Pepto-Bismol. The only reason I'm not dead is the fact that I can't die!"

"You exaggerate," the demon stated as Jason made his next move. "Besides, it was popular at the last Justice League potluck. Some of those heroes even had seconds."

"It was popular until the heat hit them, and the only people who could stand to have seconds were Superman, J'onn, and Fire. Dr. Fate had to conjure some magic milk for the rest of them, and a few tried to drink the coolant for the reactor."

"Ice didn't seem to have a problem with it."

"She couldn't use her powers for the rest of the day."

"Now you're just quibbling."

Holy Chili was so named for two reasons. It smelled heavenly, and in fact it was delicious, but once it hit the stomach, and the heat kicked in, an entirely different connotation of the word holy sprang to mind. It was one of Etrigan's favorite recipes because he loved spicy food, and he got sadistic pleasure from watching other people eat it.

"Look, the only way you're going to cook dinner tonight is by winning this game," Jason snapped as Etrigan made his next move.

At that moment a portal of glowing yellow energy appeared in front of the fireplace and the last person either of them expected emerged from it.

Instantly Jason was on his feet. The words that would transform his body into Etrigan's were already forming on his lips, but Morgan Le Fey held up her delicate hands and said, "Hold Jason. I did not come here to do battle, but to beg for your aid."

Blood hesitated and winced as Etrgan shouted in his head, "Jason, what are you waiting for?"

"After what you did to me," Jason said through clenched teeth, "what makes you think I would ever be so stupid as to help you again?"

"Because this time I'm not conquering a kingdom for my son," she replied calmly as she lowered her hands. The portal had dissipated soon after her arrival. "I'm trying to find our daughter."

Jason laughed in contempt. "The centuries have scrambled your brain witch! The only child you ever bore was that spoiled brat Mordred."

"That has changed," she stated. Her gold mask hid any expression she may have had, but her tone and body language spoke of sorrow and regret. "While it's true that you never sired a child with me while we were lovers, my daughter is of your blood. Yours and Etrigan's."

"That's impossible," Jason stated.

"She's telling the truth," Etrigan said in annoyance. "Can you let me kill her now?"

"Excuse me a moment," Jason said to Morgan as he walked out of the room. Once he was out of her sight and facing an antique wall mirror he addressed the demon. "What do you mean she's telling the truth?"

"While you were exchanging pleasantries with the enemy, I was reading her aura," the demon's reflection stated. Anyone else would have just seen Jason reflected in the mirror, but the Knight and the demon had learned long ago that they could use any reflective surface to talk face to face with each other. "Don't ask me how or why, but she does have a daughter who is also yours and mine, as humans see things. Now let me kill the witch so we can finally go our separate ways."

"Aren't you concerned about our daughter?"

Etrigan scoffed at what he considered an absurdity. "Demons aren't exactly known for our parenting skills. If the brat is old enough, and strong enough to run away from her over protective mother, she can live, or die, on her own. If it will make you happy, I'll interrogate the sorceress before I put her out of our misery."

"No, we may need her help as much as she needs ours to find our daughter. Besides, she might volunteer more information over dinner.

Etrigan gave his human partner a shocked expression. "You're going to cook for her?!"

"No," Jason said with a smile, "I forfeit the chess game. You may have the honor of cooking dinner."

It took a moment for the demon to fully comprehend Jason's words. It wouldn't be as satisfying as finishing her off, but watching that hated woman try to eat his Holy Chili would be a good consolation prize. He broke out in a grin. Then burst out in maniacal laughter that only Jason could hear as he walked back into the living room. It was all the knight could do to keep a straight face as he invited their old enemy to dinner. Morgan Le Fey was going to regret coming to them for help.

**______________________________________________________________________________**

Meanwhile, their teenage daughter had just ended her first bus ride in Metropolis and was staring at everything in amazement. She had seen images of this place in her magic mirror, when her mother was too busy with her decrepit older brother Mordred to notice, but that couldn't prepare her for the shock of seeing it in person. The sights, sounds, and smells were all so wonderfully different from the castle that she was overwhelmed with excitement. She was walking around aimlessly. Looking everywhere but where she was going. She was so focused on trying to see everything that she didn't realize she was about to wander into the street until a hand grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back.

"Watch where you're going," the owner of the hand said sternly once she was safely back on the sidewalk. She turned to scold him for handling her so roughly, but was captivated by his green eyes and the words died on her lips. "Are you alright?" he asked when her intense gaze began to discomfort him.

"Yes, sorry," she said as she snapped out of it and adjusted her large, dark blue, backpack. Like the clothes she was wearing, it had been created magically to help her blend in with the people of this modern world. "It's my first time in the city and I guess I was a little overwhelmed."

"Country girl huh?"

She smiled. "You could say that."

"Well I'm not much of a tour guide, but I could show you around," he said with a smile that she found hard to resist. Her mother had taught her to defend herself against all kinds of magic, but she had no defenses against this young man's charms.

"I'd like that," she finally said.

"Great. My name's Jimmy Olson by the way."

"I'm Maeve. Maeve Blood."

"Ahh, alright if I just call you Maeve?"

"If I may call you Jimmy," she replied. Not sure why her father's surname caused her new acquaintance such discomfort, but finding enjoyment in it nonetheless.

"Fine by me." He took her by the hand. A simple gesture of friendship that sent strange tingles along her arm. "I was just about to grab a burger and fries for dinner. You want to join me? My treat?"

"I'd be honored," Maeve said as she followed his lead. She had never had a burger before and she was eager to try one. Especially if it meant spending more time with Jimmy.

**______________________________________________________________________________**

The Diner was a simple hole in the wall place that most of the employees at the Daily Planet frequented because it was right across the street, the food was good quality, inexpensive and while there was a set menu, you could also special order your burgers, sandwiches, and salads. The two businesses had even managed to make a deal. Neither charged the other for delivery.

"Hey Jimmy," the black man behind the counter shouted as the two redheads entered. "Don't look now, but there's a girl on your arm."

"Be nice Joe she's a friend," Jimmy replied as they took seats at the counter. "This is her first time in Metropolis and I thought I'd treat her to dinner at the Diner."

"Nothing could be finer."

"Woo woo Chattanooga there you are," they sang together and then laughed much to Maeve's puzzlement. The servants at home had never bantered with her or her mother so the idea that servants could be friends with those they served was new to her.

"So how did a shy shutterbug like you have the guts to talk to such a lovely lady much less ask her to dinner?"

"Take our orders first wise guy," Jimmy replied while Maeve blushed, "and maybe I'll tell you."

"Your usual right?" Jimmy nodded. "And for the lady?"

Maeve studied the menu and her eyes found something in bold red letters. "What's the Diner Diablo?"

Joe looked at the menu and then back at her with raised eyebrows. "Girl that is the hottest burger in the city. If you can finish it, you get the meal for free and your name and picture on the Wall of Flame," he pointed to a row of five pictures by the door under the words Wall of Flame in letters made to look like fire.

Maeve smiled. She had always wanted to try something spicy but her mother had never allowed anything more than black pepper. She turned back to Joe and said, "I'll have that." She gave Jimmy a look of affection. "After what you did for me, the least I can do is try to save you some money."

Joe gave Jimmy a look. "Man, once I place your orders with the cook, you are telling me what happened." Joe turned back to Maeve, "how do you want that cooked?"

"Rare," she said as if it should be obvious.

Joe smiled as he wrote down the order and turned to the wall that separated him from the kitchen. "Yo Neal. Jimmy's here with a lady whose tastes are as hot as her looks."

"You mean…"

"Yep, we have a new Wall of Flame hopeful."

"And she's with Jimmy?"

"Yes she's with Jimmy," Maeve yelled in annoyance. She was beginning to wonder why these men found that so hard to believe. What sort of reputation did her simple escort have with ladies?

"Easy Maeve," Jimmy said as he put a hand on her shoulder. "The guys are just joking around because, well, I've never brought a girl here before."

"Yeah," Joe chimed in. "You must be something special for him to risk introducing you to us on a first date." Maeve blushed and Joe got back to business. "Now what will you two have to drink while you wait for that grease monger to cook your burgers?"

"Dr. Pepper," Jimmy said without hesitation.

Maeve studied the drinks menu. There were so many things she had never tried at home. Lemonade and iced tea were the only drinks that were truly familiar, but she left home for new experiences. Finally she decided to follow Jimmy's lead and ordered Dr. Pepper.

After Joe gave them their drinks, two other customers came in and he went to take care of them. It was one of the Diner's slow nights so the waitress that normally worked there had the night off. Maeve watched Jimmy take a sip through his straw and then did the same. Her surprise at the flavor and the feel of the bubbles showed clearly on her face.

"What," Jimmy asked when he saw her expression, "you never had a soft drink before?"

"Mother didn't allow me a lot of things that you probably take for granted," Maeve replied as if the statement left a sour taste in her mouth.

"Sounds like a hardnosed health nut."

"Among other things," she agreed.

"Let me guess, you ran away from home."

Maeve sighed, "I just couldn't live there any longer. Between Mother's strict lessons and her obsessing over my useless spoiled vegetable of a brother I was going to go crazy!"

"What about your dad?"

"He doesn't even know I exist. Mother left him before I was born. I hope to find him before she finds me, but I also want to experience as much as possible.

Jimmy though for a moment before saying, "you know, I work at the Daily Planet. If you know your father's name, what he looks like, and what he does for a living, maybe I can help you find him."

"Really?" Maeve said as her face lit up. "Oh thank you!" She threw herself at him in a hug that nearly knocked them both off their stools. Then she came to her senses and pulled herself off him almost as quickly. Looking away in embarrassment and saying to herself, "decorum Maeve, decorum," in her mother's voice. "A lady does not throw herself at a gentleman."

"Whoa." Joe said as he got back to them. "I leave for a few minutes and the redheads are putting the moves on each other. If she wasn't taking the challenge I'd ask if you two wanted this to go."

Maeve blushed furiously, but Jimmy just said, "Lay off Joe. She just got excited because I promised to help her find her father."

"OK Jimmy, I was just funning." At that point a bell rang and Joe turned to grab their orders. "One bacon and mushroom cheeseburger with chili fries for Jimmy, and one Diner Diablo for his lovely, loony, lady.

Maeve fought her urge to take offence and instead thanked Joe as he put the delicious smelling plate of food in front of her.

"Just let me know if I need to grab either the camera, or the fire extinguisher," he replied with a smile and went to deliver drinks to the other customers.

She followed Jimmy's lead, picked her burger up in both hands and took a bite. It was as if her taste buds had been asleep until that moment. The heat from the spices was like a warm fire in her mouth that spread throughout her body when she swallowed. Before she knew it she had devoured the large burger. She used a napkin to daintily dab the sauce from her face as her mother had taught her.

Joe whistled as he got back behind the counter while Jimmy just stared. "Man, the last person to win a place on the wall was Clark Kent, and he had to take a swig of 7up between bites." Joe turned to Jimmy and slapped him on the back. "Jimmy, you sure know how to pick 'em." He reached behind the counter and pulled out a digital camera. "Now smile for the camera."

Maeve was glad she had seen these devices in her mirror and knew their purpose. Otherwise Joe and the camera would have been blasted by lightning when the flash went off. It still caught her off guard though and she had to stifle a scream. Joe didn't notice, being too focused on checking the picture, but Jimmy did.

"What, never had your picture taken either?" he asked quietly.

"No, my mother believes that such devices are what corrupted my brother and lead to him being stuck in the state he's in. I think it was her fault, but I've never had the courage to tell her so. I've had my portrait painted at least once every year, but I've never had a picture made of myself this way." She turned to Joe and asked, "May I see it?"

"Of course. It's going on the wall so if you don't like it we can take another." He handed her the device and she quickly found the screen on which her image was displayed. It was incredible. Like looking at a reflection in a mirror that had somehow been frozen and shrunk to fit the tiny space.

"Not bad, for an ambush picture taken by an amateur," Jimmy said after he looked at it over her shoulder. He gently took the camera from her hands. "But how about we see what this camera can do in the hands of an artist."

"Artist my foot," Joe scoffed. "Boy gets a steady job as a newspaper shutterbug and he thinks he's the Leonardo De Vinci of photography."

Jimmy ignored him as he began giving Maeve directions on how he wanted her to pose for the camera and snapping pictures. Some were casual, some were silly, and a couple of them were flirty. The bell rang for the other order and while Joe took care of that, Jimmy showed Maeve the pictures. The number alone was a wonder to her. Just one painted portrait usually took hours, and often required her mother to cast a spell of immobility to keep Maeve from fidgeting. The portraits themselves were usually as dull as the process of making them, but these pictures took only a couple minutes and each one was exciting to her. She finally chose a funny one that showed her drinking her Dr. Pepper with a panicked expression. Jimmy handed the camera back to Joe saying," use this one for the wall and send the rest to my email. Oh and please delete them after you send me the copies OK Joe."

"Sounds risky," Joe said as he handed Maeve a piece of paper to write her name on. What if they don't get through the first time?"

"I'll take that chance."

"I read ya pal. I wouldn't want someone keeping a collection of my girl's pictures either. Shame to hoard such loveliness though."

"Just do it OK," Jimmy muttered.

Joe smiled and nodded, but Maeve cast a quick spell to make sure he did as told. She liked Joe, but her mother had taught her to be careful.

They ate their fries while Joe rang up the bill. Since Maeve had won the challenge, Jimmy was only charged for his own meal. Then Joe went to check on the restrooms so the two would have some privacy.

"So, where are you going to stay while you're in Metropolis?" Jimmy asked as he tried to get as much chili on his fries as possible before eating them.

"I don't know yet," she replied. She had figured out the condiment bottles and was dipping her fries in a mix of ketchup, mustard, and hot sauce. "I was hoping to find a hotel or something."

"Slim chance of that I'm afraid. There are a couple big conventions in the city this week. All the decent places are booked solid. What are left are probably firetraps where roaches and rats have turf wars."

"What's a convention?"

"It's where a bunch of fans of one sort or another get together to buy, sell, and/or trade stuff, play games, watch videos, and interact with people who are considered famous in the fandom. It can get a bit crazy at times."

"I hadn't planned on this. Is there anything I can do?"

"Well, you could bunk at my place if you want," Jimmy said shyly. "My roommate is off on assignment for the rest of the month and I could use the company."

"Oh, I couldn't do that. You've done so much for me already. I don't want to impose any further."

"Hey, what are friends for? Besides, it's just until you can find a place of your own or we find your father. If it makes you feel any better, I swear I'll be a perfect gentleman for the duration of your stay at my humble abode."

"Well, then it would be unladylike for me to refuse the offer of such a handsome gentleman." She smiled and gave him a kiss on the cheek, causing him to blush.

When Joe came back he finally insisted on finding out how they met. After they told him and endured his comments, Jimmy paid the bill and escorted Maeve out of the Diner. As they walked to Jimmy's apartment Maeve held his arm and sighed contentedly. She had yet to find her father, but she felt certain she had found her knight. She only hoped Mother didn't kill him when she found out.


	2. Misunderstandings and Magic

**Misunderstandings and Magic**

Jimmy Olsen woke the next morning to the smell of bacon and eggs. "Maeve must be cooking breakfast," he thought to himself, forgetting that his roommate and fellow photographer Steve had finished off the last of those breakfast foods before he left on that Gotham assignment for Playboy. Jimmy's own culinary skills when it came to hot food began and ended with the microwave directions on the container.

He got up with a groan and walked over to his closet to pull out his bathrobe. He didn't want Maeve to think he walked around the apartment in just his skivvies after all, even though he usually did.

Jimmy still couldn't believe his luck or his courage last night. He had invited a beautiful girl to spend the night and she had accepted. True, she had just gotten into Metropolis last night with no friends to turn to, and the odds of her finding a decent hotel room during a week when the city was hosting two major conventions were pretty much nil. So he did what any kind hearted guy would do and invited her to stay with him. Jimmy knew that a lot of guys would have taken advantage of the situation to get "lucky," but he wasn't one of them. They had spent the night talking and watching Some of Jimmy's DVD collection. Turns out that they liked a lot of the same movies and shows, though Maeve had apparently never seen a DVD before and was fascinated by the "wands" that controlled the entertainment system. Then they went to bed in separate rooms. He slept in his room, of course, while she slept in Steve's room, which was on the other side of the apartment. Jimmy figured that was safe since Steve kept his room clean, never bothered to decorate, and kept his work in a locked file cabinet. Still, it was a pretty impressive way to end what could be called a first date. Jimmy grabbed some clean underwear and a pair of jeans from his dresser and went to take his shower.

After he washed, dried, got dressed and finished with his usual grooming ritual, he went back into his bedroom to dump the underwear he had slept in onto the laundry pile and pull on a shirt before seeing about breakfast.

"Good Morning," he said as he walked into the small kitchen, and then walked swiftly back out with his hand slapped firmly over his eyes, apologizing profusely for seeing Maeve in her underwear.

"What's wrong Jimmy?" she asked as she took the eggs and bacon off the burners and followed him out with a worried and confused expression.

"You're, you're just wearing your underwear!" The blush had already run out of room on his head and Jimmy could feel it start down his neck. He hadn't had a full body blush since Lois had dragged him along on that fashion show scoop, but he could tell that this was going to go all the way if Maeve didn't put some clothes on soon. The only thing that had saved him at the fashion show was the fact that it was a job where he could hid behind his camera, and those models were too busy dressing and undressing to notice one beet red photographer. Here, in his own apartment, he had no camera to hide behind and the attention of one semi clothed girl about his own age was having a greater affect on him than all those models.

"What's wrong with that?" Maeve asked in clear confusion. "It's warm enough in your apartment, and you slept in even less last night."

"What?" The shock of that statement allowed Jimmy to pull his hand away from his face long enough to look her in the eyes. "How do you know I slept in my underwear?"

She cringed and Jimmy wished he had said that in a nicer way. "I'm sorry," he said, trying to sooth her feelings without touching her in a manner that might be inappropriate. "It's just that I know I closed my door last night."

The look in her eyes reminded him of a guilty puppy. "I'm sorry Jimmy. I heard this strange noise coming from your room and I was worried about you. So I opened your door. I didn't see any creature. Just you, lying on your chest in your undergarment."

"What strange noise?" Jimmy was clearly confused.

"It was horrible. Like nothing I had ever heard before." She then proceeded to imitate the noise.

It took a moment for Jimmy to recognize it as the same noise Steve had recorded back when they started out as roommates. "You mean you heard me snoring, and you were worried about me?" He wasn't sure whether to be touched, or to chuckle. "Have you never heard anyone snore before?"

"No," she said, still with that puppy look. "Is that what the noise was?"

"Yeah." The new source of embarrassment caused the blush to reach his toes. He averted his eyes in the vain hope that it might alleviate the pressure. "I know it sounds scary, but it's just a noise I make when I sleep. A lot of people have that problem. Now will you please put some clothes on before I pass out from embarrassment?"

"Why? Don't you like me this way?" If any other woman had asked him that, Jimmy would have thought they were messing with him, But Maeve somehow made it sound genuinely innocent. "I liked seeing you in your undergarment."

"I think you'd look great in anything, it's just that, well, seeing you in just your (ahem) unmentionables, is a little overwhelming for me. I mean we just met last night. Do you understand?"

"Not really, but, if it will make you feel better, my crimson knight, I will do as you ask." She went back to Steve's room, presumably to put more clothes on, and Jimmy heaved a sigh of relief as the blush began to dissipate. He hoped it would be gone by the time he got to work. Then her words registered. What did she mean by calling him her crimson knight?

_**

* * *

**_

Meanwhile, in the house that Blood built, Jason was making himself an omelet for breakfast while, in the back of his mind, Etrigan was watching Jason's memories of the dinner they shared with Morgan Le Fey last night. The yellow skinned demon was enjoying the show immensely.

"Ah, here comes my favorite part," Etrgan crowed. Referring to the moment where the heat from his holy chili overcomes the evil spellcaster and she tripped over her own purple skirt in her rush to get the pitcher of milk in the fridge. "Yes! She has become one with her inner self!"

"She's knocked out," Jason stated with a smile.

"That too."

Jason rolled his eyes at the modified quote and wondered if anyone would believe a demon and an Arthurian knight were avid fans of the Babalon5 TV series. "I did tell her that milk went better with chili, but she insisted on wine." What Jason hadn't mentioned, until after the heat started, was that the magic milk he was drinking was the best counter for the chili's heat.

At that moment they heard noises coming from the guest bedroom. "Sounds like our dinner guest has finally recovered," Jason observed.

"Pity," Etrigan grumbled. "I prefer her unconscious."

"What did you do to me?" Morgan shouted. "And where is my mask?"

"You did it to yourself witch!" Jason shouted back. "And that mask of yours is on the dresser!"

"You should have tossed that thing in the rubbish bin when you took it off her deceitful face," Etrigan stated. The mask had been removed because Jason thought it might interfere with her breathing. Or at least that's what he was going to tell her if she asked.

"We still need her to find our daughter. She didn't tell us much before the heat of the chili hit her and she hit the floor."

"OK, we use her to find the child, and then I pound the witch into abstract art and we can finally go our separate ways."

"Is it ever that easy?" Jason inquired as he looked at Etrigan's reflection in the microwave above the stove.

The reflection shrugged. "Even a demon can dream."

At that moment, Morgan Le Fey, the bane of their duel existence, staggered into the kitchen with her mask firmly back in place and as much lady like poise as she could manage. Though the heat had died down, the chili still wasn't agreeing with her.

Jason briefly wondered why she bothered with the mask since he knew what she looked like. Part of him was glad of it though. It was easier to hate her when he couldn't see the face he had fallen in love with.

"I don't believe you Jason," she said as she leaned against the counter. "I come to you seeking help in finding our daughter, and not only do you return the favor by serving me peasant food, you serve me poison peasant food."

Jason scrapped his omelet onto a plate. "You came into my house at dinnertime with no warning. The chili was the best I could offer and while it may have been a bit on the spicy side, it wasn't poisoned. Such underhandedness is your style. Not mine. And considering our history, you're lucky I was that chivalrous. You could have refused my invitation."

"That would have been rude of me. Besides, as I told you last night, your cooking was one of the things I missed from our time as lovers."

Jason and Etrigan both snorted in contempt though Morgan only heard the one from Jason. "Lovers Morgan? I was never more than your pawn. Possibly less than that! Pawns may be sacrificed in a game of chess, but it is your opponent that removes them from the game. What you did to me was more akin to a card in a modern day trading card game."

Morgan sighed as if Jason was making a big deal over nothing. "I told you then, and I tell you now, I did that out of love for my son."

"Ah yes. Mordred. The permanent pre-teen prince. At least he was until he broke the spell that kept him young. Where is that royal pain anyway? You usually keep him close. Like a pet Chihuahua."

"Only the Chihuahua has some redeeming value," the demon added.

A blind man would have felt the glare coming from behind Morgan's golden mask. "I would thank you not to refer to my son in such a disrespectful manner Jason. He is still a prince after all. He has just been… unwell since his last encounter with you and the league. I left him at home under the care of my most loyal servants."

"Then it's just you, me and Etrigan on this quest. Good. Care for some breakfast?" Jason deadpanned the last part.

Morgan fixed him with another glare. "Do you honestly think I would trust anything cooked by you after last night?"

Jason shrugged. "Cereal, bread, and oatmeal are in the cupboard, eggs, milk, and juices are in the fridge. Any dishes you dirty are yours to clean up." He stated matter of factly as he took his omelet and went into the dining room. Morgan Le fey may be a highborn noblewoman, but too many spells and potions required cooking for her to be inept in the kitchen.

As Jason sat down to enjoy his breakfast he thought about last night and how Morgan had eaten dinner. To preserve her vanity she had made her mask insubstantial instead of removing it. The spell had worn off when she knocked herself out. Watching the spoon pass through a solid gold mask like it wasn't there had been an interesting experience, and he wondered if there would be a repeat performance when she ate breakfast.

* * *

"How is it?" Maeve asked eagerly as they ate breakfast on the living room couch with the radio was giving a weather report in the background. She had put on a pale blue "Got Milk?" t-shirt and snug blue jeans. Both of which looked brand new.

"It's delicious," he said after washing down a mouthful with some grapefruit juice.

"Do you really think so?" She blushed a bit. It amazed him that a girl who could walk around his apartment in her underwear blushed at a simple complement.

"it's as good as you are beautiful," he replied as he gazed into her innocent emerald eyes. Surprising himself by how easily the words came. He was normally so insecure around women that he had to work up the guts just to say hi.

"Are you trying to make me blush as red as you were?" she accused as she gave him a playful shove.

"Hey, turnabout is fair play." He smiled as he checked his watch. "Aw man, I better get going or I'll be late for work!" He finished his breakfast and rushed to get ready.

"Can I come with you?"

Jimmy stopped to think about it. He had never brought anyone to work with him so he didn't know what the policy was. "Not today," he finally said, "but I'll ask if I can bring you over tomorrow. OK?" Without waiting for a response he grabbed his jacket and camera and rushed out the door.

Maeve felt both sad and relieved that Jimmy was gone. She did want to go to work with him and meet his friends, but she also wanted to explore the wonders of his apartment a bit more, especially his computer, which rested on a cheap desk in the corner. Not to mention the fact that the place could stand to be cleaned and she didn't want Jimmy to see her using magic to do it. One of the few things her mother had taught her about relationships with men was that a lady had to keep some secrets from her knight.

After the breakfast dishes had been cleared away, Jason escorted Morgan to what many would call his inner sanctum, where he practiced his magic.

"Why do you practice what little magic you know in your basement?" the sorceress said with clear displeasure as she made her way down the steps.

"More room down here," Jason stated. "Also, it's easier to conceal my arcane activities from nosey neighbors."

"Not to mention the fact that Jehovah's witnesses tend to show up at _just_ the wrong time," Etrigan muttered.

"If you wish to conceal yourself from the peasantry, why have your dwelling in this village?"

Jason rolled his eyes. "Just because I'm immortal, doesn't mean I want to live like a hermit. I actually like being around people."

"Besides, I love handing out candy on All Hallows eve." Jason didn't need a reflective surface to know the demon was smirking as he said those words. Halloween was the one time of the year when Jason summoned Etrigan for fun. Even a demon needed to relax from time to time, and with his looks and magic, Jason saved time and money on both costumes and decorations.

The basement was actually a large finished room with books, spell ingredients and other arcane elements on one side, and the latest in workout equipment on the other. Hidden behind the stairs were the washer and dryer. Also behind the stairs was a room specially designed to hold Morgan Le Fey and her son.

Morgan wandered over to one of the bookshelves, picked up a containment orb and examined the tiny figure contained within. "Klarion the Witch Boy," she said with a hit of amusement. "Mordred was wondering where his favorite playmate disappeared to."

"Yes, Klarion was a formidable opponent, but I think he makes a better snow globe," Jason commented as he pulled a book from another shelf. "You can shake him up after we find our daughter. You said her name was Maeve?"

"Yes, a royal name for a daughter of royal blood," Morgan said as she carelessly put the sphere containing the mutely screaming Klarion back on the shelf.

"Flattery no longer works with me Morgan," Jason deadpanned as he put the book on the worktable and opened it to the chapter on scrying. "I assume you have already tried summoning her by her name?" he continued before she could decipher his wordplay.

"I'm no novice Jason. Do you honestly think I would have come to you if I hadn't already tried everything else within my power to find her? It was I who taught her magic and yet she has found a way to block me. I came to you in the hopes that the beast Merlin bound to you would somehow know something that I did not."

On one wall was a large mirror with two doors covering the reflective surface. At the top of it was a carved face that resembled Vincent Pryce. It was a recreation of the magic mirror from the Snow White episode of Fairytale Theater, and the only artifact on that side of the basement that hadn't been used for magic before Jason acquired it. He walked over and opened the doors to reveal three mirrors, the main one in the middle, and the two half oval ones on the inside of the doors. Morgan stifled a gasp as she saw the beast in question in place of Jason's reflection in the central mirror. Ironically, this reproduction of a TV prop was the only mirror in the house that allowed others to see what Jason could in any reflective surface. The spell that allowed this, also allowed others to hear Etrigan.

"Well Etrigan," Jason began. "Can you think of anything that our 'expert' might not have tried?"

Etrigan thought for a moment. "Does the witch know the child's demon name?" he replied as if Morgan wasn't in the room.

"My daughter does not have a demon name," Morgan stated as if the mere thought was an insult. "That part of her is completely contained."

Etrigan continued to ignore her presence as he addressed Jason. "Morgan is a fool if she thinks she can cage the child's demon heritage, and luckier than she deserves. The last spell caster who tried to contain the power of his demon child, doomed both himself and Pompeii. Maeve will change. Most likely during a moment of extreme emotion, and unless someone can talk her down and learn her demon name, there may be a second Pompeii."

"How can we find her before that happens?" Jason asked, thinking of all the lives that would be lost if she lost control in a city.

Etrigan thought for a moment before turning to Morgan. "How is the child's demon side being contained?"

"By my spells at first," Morgan replied, "but as she grew older I trained her to contain it herself."

"So the backlash won't hit you when those wards fall," the demon stated as if he expected that to be the case. "Pity, the backlash would have given us a clear location. Of course this also means that there will be some preliminary magical disturbances as she fights to contain that part of herself. Disturbances that we can use to narrow down our search."

"And how much damage will these disturbances cause?" Jason inquired.

"Your concern for the peasantry is touching Jason," Morgan snapped, "but I want to know how close these disturbances will bring us to Maeve."

"The answer to both questions depends on the length of the disturbance, and the intensity of the emotion that causes it," the demon stated before an argument could start. Normally he would have stayed out of any argument Jason had, but he liked working with this woman even less than Jason did. The sooner they found the girl, the sooner he could wrap his hand around Morgan's throat and squeeze. "The more intense her emotion, the bigger and potentially more dangerous the disturbance will be. The longer the disturbance lasts, the closer we will be able to trace her location."

"And the more damage her temper tantrum will cause," Jason said. He was clearly frustrated by the fact that their best chance of finding Maeve was dependent on her losing control and possibly killing people.

"My daughter does not have temper tantrums," Morgan stated as if the idea was a personal affront to her. "I brought her up to be a proper lady."

"Only if she acts on the emotion that triggers the change," Etrigan said reassuringly as if Morgan hadn't spoken. As he talked, she began setting up to cast the necessary spell. "If the child has enough self control the first few disturbances could be harmless. The pain of the change could also snap her out of it before she lashes out. Unfortunately, each time it happens the wards will weaken and she will be closer to becoming a demon ruled by her emotions."

Jason sighed. "Then let's hope she can keep herself under control until we find her. If she is as powerful as Morgan claims, I hate to of the damage she could do.

* * *

While cleaning the living room, Maeve found several of Jimmy's photo albums on one of the bookshelves by the computer. Each clearly labeled. Curious she began looking through the pictures contained within them and was enthralled by these frozen moments in time. Jimmy may not be a warrior, but he was truly an artist with his camera. Then she found one marked Jimmy's Private Collection. Unlike the other volumes, this one was locked. Part of her knew it would be wrong to peek inside this one without her knight's permission, but she was consumed with curiosity. It would be so easy to unlock it with a spell and she had to know what pictures earned a place in this book. "I'll just take a little peek," she said to herself as she unlocked and opened the book. "He'll never know."

What she found between those covers stirred something primal in her and the album in her hands began to smolder.


	3. Calls are Made

**Calls are Made**

It was a slow day at the Daily Planet and Clark Kent was taking the time to relax and enjoy his coffee before Perry sent him and Lois on their next assignment. His partner, on the other hand, was the eye of an inverted storm.

"Lois, relax," he said as she completed another circuit around their desks. "Slow days happen. Enjoy it."

"You should know by now that I hate slow news days," she snapped as she dropped into her chair. "They usually mean I get stuck with some lame story that only makes the front page because there isn't a better story and SOMETHING has to be there."

At that moment Perry White, considered by some to be the voice of god within the walls of the Planet, invoked his power. "Kent! Lane! Get in here! And where is Olsen?"

"Here Chief," Jimmy said as he came in.

"Good. I have an assignment for the three of you," Perry said as he walked back into his office, his best reporting team following him soon after.

"So, what's the assignment?" Lois asked as they entered the office.

"Star-con is in town this week and I want you three to cover it," Perry stated in a tone that said he wasn't going to argue.

Lois ignored the tone. A science fiction convention? Chief, isn't that what we have Chloe Sullivan for?"

"She's already covering Galaxy-con and besides, the sponsors asked for you three by name."

Lois rolled her eyes. Let me guess. They couldn't get Superman so they settled for the people who have the most interaction with him."

Perry coughed. "Actually, they're trying to compete with Galaxy-con and think having you report on it will give them some prestige."

"Personally, I've always been curious about what goes on at these conventions," Clark said when it looked liked Lois wasn't buying it for a minute. "It could be fun."

Lois glared at her partner then turned her attention back to Perry. "Aren't S.T.A.R. labs or Lexcorp doing anything of interest this week?"

"Actually, Lexcorp is one of the sponsors. Mercy has been trying to do more in the civilian market to try and distance her administration from Luthor's. As for S.T.A.R. labs, they don't have anything they want to make public at the moment. And before you ask, you'd know before I did if inter gang was planning to do anything other than lick its wounds after the smack down Superman gave them last week."

"So I'm stuck with the gathering of geeks," Lois muttered.

"Hey, they can't all be award winners. Just relax and try to have fun with it."

"Alright Chief. But if one pathetic 30 something geek in a cheap Superman costume asks me about my romance with an alien I'm out of there."

"Understood Lane. Now get out of here! The convention has already started."

Lois and Clark turned to go but Jimmy nervously approached Perry's desk

"Um chief?"

"Yes Jimmy," Perry replied not looking up from his work.

"I was wondering what the policy is on bringing guests here?"

"Why, is you're mother coming for a visit?"

"Actually, there's this girl I met last night…"

Perry looked up with a concerned expression. "I'm afraid she'll need a visitor's pass and that may take awhile. A week at least. Are you sure about this girl? I mean you haven't exactly had the best luck with relationships."

"I know, but Maeve is different. She's sweet, friendly, and looks at everything with this sense of wonder."

"OK," Perry said as he reached into his desk, pulled out the form and handed it to Jimmy. "Have her fill out this form and I'll make sure it's rushed through. Now get those goo-goo eyes of yours to the convention."

"Thanks Chief," Jimmy said as he left the office.

Perry chuckled as he watched the young photographer head out and hoped that this girl would be able to change the boy's luck with ladies.

* * *

Jimmy found Lois and Clark waiting for him outside the office.

"So, I hear you've got a new girl," Lois said with a smirk as they walked to the elevator.

"You were eavesdropping?"

"We were concerned as to why you weren't following us out," Clark said diplomatically.

"So, who is the latest girl to capture your heart?" Lois pressed. "And when do we get to meet her?"

"In a week," Jimmy said sadly. "That's how long it will take for the visitor's pass to be approved."

"OK, that's how long it will be before you can bring her to the office, but I don't see why we can meet her today." Lois gave him the smile she used to gently pump information.

"What Lois means is, why don't you invite her along to the convention with us?" Clark supplied as they got into the elevator and started their decent. "I mean most of your work is done in the field anyway."

"You mean, like a date?"

"Yes Jimmy, you can date a girl during the daytime," Lois said with a hit of annoyance. "Don't worry. We won't tell Perry."

"I'm not sure. Is a science fiction convention a good idea for a second date?"

Lois rolled her eyes. "Jimmy, compared to what we usually deal with, this convention is mild. I'd say it would make for a good test of the relationship. I mean, if she can't handle a bunch of geeks in costume, how is she going to react when you're snapping pictures of Superman's next fight?"

"Besides," Clark put in, "We won't need you with us the entire time. You can snap a few pictures at key events, and then spend the rest of the day with her."

"Jimmy smiled. "Well, when you put it like that, I guess it could be fun. Alright if we swing by my apartment to pick her up?"

Both reporters arched eyebrows at this as the elevator reached the ground floor.

"It's not like that!" Jimmy exclaimed as they walked out and made their way to the parking garage. "She just got in last night and didn't have a place to stay. So, since Steve's out of town, I let her stay in his room."

"I believe you Jimmy," Clark said as he handed his pal his cell phone. "Now why don't you give her a call and let her know we're coming."

* * *

The ringing noise startled Maeve and caused her to drop the album that was slowly being destroyed by her fiery grasp. Her first instinct was to destroy the source of the noise, but then her mind regained control and she remembered what the noise meant. Dowsing the power in her hands she walked over to the phone on the desk and picked up the receiver the way she had seen it done on her magic mirror. She nearly dropped it when she heard Jimmy's voice.

"Hi Maeve. It will be a week before I can take you to visit the office, but I've been assigned to take pictures of one of the sci-fi conventions I told you about yesterday. Would you like to come along?"

"Yes."

"You don't have to if you don't want to. I just thought…"

"Jimmy, I said yes. I'd love to go to this convention with you." _I'd love to go anywhere with you, _She thought, but didn't say.

"Really? That's great! We'll be right over to pick you up." *Click*

"Jimmy? Jimmy?" She gave the receiver a puzzled look before putting back in its cradle. Her first phone conversation had been an interesting experience. Then the smell of burning plastic brought her back to what she had been doing before the call. She walked over to the blackened mass that had been her knight's private photo collection. In it had been pictures of all kinds of beautiful women. Heroes, villains, and common folk. There were even a few of a green fire elemental that could be nudes. It was so hard to tell with elementals since they weren't always anatomically correct. Some of the pictures were clearly lucky shots, like that one of the red haired giantess with her pink skirt blown up revealing what she _wasn't_ wearing. Others were posed, like the blond in the blue and red outfit with the S emblem across her bosom. She was blowing kisses to the camera. To Jimmy. He was embarrassed to see Maeve in her undergarments yet he was able to take such pictures of these women. Maeve felt another surge of jealousy, but suppressed it this time. The pictures were still beautiful and she was beginning to feel guilty about destroying them. She shouldn't have been looking at them without his permission in the first place. She loved him as deeply as any fairytale princess loved her prince, but this was the real world and she wasn't sure he felt the same about her. By rights she couldn't even blame him for having it. He was a man after all, and though she had very little experience with men, her mother had often told her that all men had the same weaknesses.

Maeve began a spell of restoration to undo the damage done to the album. She would confess to Jimmy about looking through it, though not about destroying it, and hope for his forgiveness and understanding. Perhaps she could convince him to get rid of the album and start a new one filled with her pictures?

* * *

"Blast!" Morgan shouted. "The disturbance was too weak and too short for us to get an exact location."

"At least we were able to narrow the search area," Jason said calmly as he studied the map they had been using. The air in his basement sanctum was charged with energy even though the spell they were using was relatively simple. Three drops of blood from both Morgan and Jason, dripped upon four compasses set at the cardinal directions of a map, and infused with their magic. A moment ago those compasses were all pointed to, and magically pulled towards a central location. The speed at which the compasses were pulled was roughly equal to the power of the disturbances they were tracking. This one had been weak and short lived so they had moved slowly. Stopping when the disturbance was no longer detectable.

"The east compass stopped on the coastline so we know she's there somewhere."

"I suppose you were lucky to guess the right continent," Morgan muttered. Jason chose to ignore the backhanded complement.

Finally, Jason stabbed his finger on one spot along the coast. "We will find her in Metropolis."

"How can you be so certain?"

In the mirror behind the witch, Etrigan flipped a wooden nickel, and studied which side landed face up.

"You of all people should know that certain places attract power in one form or another," Jason stated as if explaining a simple fact. "We know she is in a city along this coastline and the only cities that attract power Gotham, and Metropolis. My instincts, the same ones that have helped me track you, say that she is there."

"Very well," Morgan sighed. "Now if only this spell was more portable."

Jason held up a portable GPS. "This is a device that Dr. Fate, Etrigan, and I have developed to make scrying easier and more accurate. Now that it knows what to look for, it can lead us to her."

"I must admit that I'm actually impressed," Morgan said as he handed her the device that was a fusion of science and magic.

"Now, before we head off, I think it's time to change." Jason walked over to the mirror and spoke the words that would transform him into his counterpart. "Change, change the form of man. Free the prince forever damned. Free the might from fleshy mire. Boil the blood in heart of fire. Gone, gone the form of man! Rise the demon Etrigan!"

Morgan watched as Jason transformed into the demon, while in the mirror, the demon changed into Jason. Once the transformation was complete, Morgan set aside the Enchanted Global Positioning System and clapped her hands without enthusiasm. "My, that was a show, the full incantation and watching both sides of the transformation. Now, if you're finished showing off, we must leave."

She was about to say more, but the Demon turned and grabbed her by the throat. Smiling, he lifted her up and began to squeeze as he said, "I've been waiting a long time to do this."


	4. The Hunt Begins

**The Hunt Begins as Maeve Sees Beneath the Surface**

Jason Blood's house was a simple two story home that would be remarkable only to a historian. Otherwise, it was just another suburban dwelling. And the man who owned it, though reclusive, and a bit eccentric, was considered a pillar of the community. Few would believe that the kind hearted Mr. Blood had a mystic study and a high tech gym in his basement, or that he had a demon who was now crushing Morgan Le Fey's throat in that basement study/gym.

"Put her down. Gently," came a firm voice from the mirror. Etrigan loosened his grip just enough to make sure his hated foe didn't expire while he was talking with Jason via the mirror's reflection.

"Why should I?" the demon snarled.

"We have a truce with her, and we still need her help to find our daughter."

"We know the child is in Metropolis, and once there we can track her easily when the next disturbance occurs."

"But Morgan is the only parent Maeve knows and we don't know what Maeve looks like. Our best chance of averting disaster lies with our hated enemy."

The demon looked from Jason, to Morgan, then back again. "Very well Jason," Etrigan muttered as he dropped the sorceress, who landed in a heap on the floor. "But mark my words. She will not hesitate to betray us."

"I know, but for the moment we have no choice.

"Treacherous beast," Le Fey rasped as she struggled to stand up. "If this is how you honor a truce, perhaps I should continue this search alone." She examined the enchanted GPS that was still in her hand.

Etrigan laughed. "Witless witch. You're skilled in magic, but when it comes to modern technology you can't even work a toaster. Your son has a better understanding of such devices."

"It was devices like these that corrupted his mind and turned him against me," she snapped as she tossed the EGPS at her horned heckler, who caught it easily.

"You deceive yourself," Jason said with a note of pity. "But then again, deception has always been your greatest skill."

"Are you saying that I am somehow at fault Jason?" Morgan's tone was even, but she had a spell ready to throw at the image of her former lover if she didn't like his response.

"I tire of this drama," the demon stated before their bickering could get started. "Morgan. You need me to operate this fusion of science and magic. Jason and I need your knowledge of our daughter. All three of us want to find her before her demon side fully emerges. So, much as we hate it, we have to work together. Once both the city and the child are safe, we shall settle this."

"Agreed," she said reluctantly as they shook hands. Etrigan had to fight the urge to crush her hand into a lump. "Now, let us depart." She slid her hand free of the demon's grasp and opened a portal. "See you later my love," she said as she mimed blowing a kiss at the mirror and stepped through the glowing yellow mass of energy.

Etrigan exchanged looks of disgust with his human partner before following their untrustworthy ally into the slowly shrinking portal. As soon as the demon disappeared, so did Jason's image in the mirror. The lights shut off soon after that thanks to a Justice League security system.

* * *

Meanwhile, Lois and Clark waited outside Jimmy's apartment while their red haired photographer went to get his new girlfriend.

"You realize that this means I win the bet." Clark stated casually. Lois had been on a matchmaker kick for the past month with mixed results. Having experienced one o f the failed pairings first hand, and not wanting Jimmy to run that risk, Clark had made a bet with his fellow reporter. If Jimmy couldn't find someone within a month, then Lois would be allowed to pair him with someone. If Jimmy did find a girl however, Lois was to leave it alone. There was also twenty bucks on the line to give her some incentive.

"No way Clark. There is still a week left. Jimmy's a good kid but so far the only girl he's managed to keep for more than a couple days has been your cousin Kara." This was true. Kara and Jimmy had been together for several weeks before the pressure of living a double life as Kara Kent and Supergirl became too much. She broke up with Jimmy on good terms, and as Supergirl they stayed friends until she decided to stay in the future. But she had stopped being Kara in favor of being Supergirl full time long before that.

"Hey, the bet was that he had to find a girl," Clark countered. "We didn't say anything about how long they had to stay together."

"Well maybe we should change the bet."

"Why? Are you that afraid to lose?" Clark smiled smugly. This bet was turning out to be more fun than he expected.

"Of course not. I just realized that I made the bet too easy for you to win."

Clark shrugged. "Sorry Lois. The bet can't be changed. Unless you want to up the ante?"

Lois gave her partner a look of annoyed amusement. "OK Smallvile. What do you want?"

"If I win, you stop trying to fix people up and treat me to lunch for a month. If you win, I'll help you play matchmaker and buy you lunch for a month."

"Pretty sure of yourself aren't you?" Lois said with a smirk.

"Hey, my dad always told me, if you aren't able to gamble big, you shouldn't gamble at all."

"My choice of lunch places?"

"Only if you win."

"Deal." They finished shaking hands just before Jimmy came back with his girl in tow.

"Guys, this is Maeve Blood. Maeve, this is Lois Lane and Clark Kent.

The young redhead shook Lois' hand as if she had seen it done but never done it herself. "A pleasure to meet you," she said as she made a strange movement. As if she was about to curtsey but stopped herself. "Jimmy hasn't told me much about you yet, but I can sense you have a great strength of will hiding a gentle side."

"Not bad kid," Lois said, ignoring the amused smirks from the guys, "but anyone who knows my reputation could tell you about my will and any two-bit gypsy would try the gentle side angle."

"Don't mind Lois," Clark said as he took his turn at shaking Maeve's hand. "She's a cynic by nature. Me. I try to keep an open mind."

"Yes, I can sense that about you. In fact you have many hidden strengths." She gave Clark a probing look. As if she could discover his secrets just by staring into his eyes.

"Not to spoil the fun, but Perry wants us to cover the convention and I want to get it over with," Lois stated as she got into her car. The others followed and after Jimmy taught Maeve how a seatbelt worked, they were on their way. Lois and Clark in the front while Jimmy and Maeve sat in the back like a pair of high school kids unsure how to show affection in public.

"So Maeve. Were you raised in an Amish community?" Lois asked as she drove.

"What's that?" Maeve replied with a look of puzzlement.

"Jimmy can explain it later, but you just answered my question. So how come riding in a car is new to you?"

"Mother never let me out of the… house."

The reporters exchanged looks and even Jimmy caught the hesitation on the word house. "Let me guess. You grew up in a life of wealth and privilege, but you're mother was overprotective to the point of smothering and you ran away from home." Lois adjusted her rearview mirror to see Maeve's shocked expression. "I'm a highly skilled reporter kid. Jimmy already told us that this is your first visit to the city. The rest I figured out just by talking with you. So why did you choose Metropolis?"

Maeve smiled. "It seemed like the best place to start looking for my father, and I've always wanted to visit a city. From what I've heard, exciting things happen here."

"Well not lately kido. It's been so dull Perry sent us to this science fiction convention."

"Well our lives can't be in danger everyday Lois," Clark put in. "I for one like it when things slow down once in a while."

"That's because you grew up on a farm Clark. You've probably had an entire month go by where nothing interesting happened. Me, I'm an army brat whose mother had a knack for finding out secrets. I've always preferred action and intrigue."

"Which is part of what makes you a great reporter," Clark put in. "But even you have to slow down sometimes. Why don't you just take this opportunity to relax? We'll interview a few people, take in the sights, and I'll treat you to lunch."

Maeve listened to the two reporters as they bantered. "You two make an interesting couple," she said casually. "Such a supportive mesh of opposites. How long have you been dating?"

Jimmy choked back a laugh while Lois gave an amused snort and Clark tried to hide his expression.

"Where did you get the idea that Clark and I are involved with each other?" Lois said with a mix of shock and amusement.

Maeve blushed and became very self conscious. So Jimmy put his arm around her for reassurance. "When I shook you hands I felt such a connection between the two of you. And the way you interact with each other. I just assumed..."

"You need to work on your gypsy powers girl," Lois stated. "Sure Clark and I are close, but that's because we've become good friends over the years. We're more like siblings than anything else. I just don't go for the mild mannered type. No offence Smallville."

"None taken," Clark replied. "I've seen some of the guys you go for."

Lois rolled her eyes. "You are not going to bring up Bruce Wayne again are you?"

Actually, I was thinking about that date you were on a few nights ago with that actor. What was his name again?"

"Christopher Reeves, and that doesn't count. It was a dinner interview."

"Uh, guys," Jimmy broke in as they drove past their destination. "I think that was the convention center."


	5. Culture Shock

**Culture Shock**

Maeve approached the front of the line with Jimmy and his friends, Lois and Clark. She wasn't sure if she should be awed or terrified by the line of people waiting to enter the convention building. Some were in normal clothes while others were in all sorts of costumes of varying quality.

"Hey, you four," a large African American guard dressed in a red Starfleet Security uniform blocked their path. "Unless you have prepaid passes you go to the back of the line."

"Lois Lane and Clark Kent from the Daily Planet on special request," Lois said as the reporters showed their press badges. "This is Jimmy Olsen our photographer and his trainee Maeve." Jimmy pulled out his badge. "Her badge is still being processed but she is with us and we're behind as it is. So let us through."

The guard glanced at the badges. "OK, you three can go in, but the girl has to wait in line."

Lois rolled her eyes. "Come on. It's not like this is a high security facility and besides, she could use the experience."

"Look, I've got my orders and I know how ugly those guys," he gestured towards the people still waiting in line as he spoke, "can get if I give anyone preferential treatment."

"Let them through Gerald," a woman's voice commanded politely. Maeve turned to see a lovely blonde woman in a business suit approach the entrance like a warrior queen. "After all, I wouldn't want this convention to receive bad press because we stood in the way of someone's on the job education."

"At once Miss Graves," Gerald said. "Please hold your right hands out for stamps." They did so as Gerald pulled out an inkpad and stamp. He applied the special ink to each hand in quick succession and Maeve stared at the green seven pointed star that now adorned the back of her hand.

"Thanks for your help Mercy," Clark said to the blonde woman.

"Not a problem Mr. Kent," she said as she presented her own hand to be stamped. I do try to maintain a good relationship with the press."

"Care to do an interview then?" Lois inquired.

"Later Miss Lane. Right now I have a few things to take care of. This is the first of these conventions that Lexcorp has sponsored locally during my administration and I want to personally make sure it goes off with as few problems as possible." With that, the woman disappeared into the convention center.

Lois shot at suspicious look in the direction Mercy had disappeared. "She's up to something Clark. I'm sure of it."

Clark and Jimmy exchanged looks before the reporter said, "if she is, I'm sure we'll figure it out. But until then, let's just interview some people and try to enjoy ourselves." Before Lois could argue, Clark grabbed some programs for them and they entered the convention.

* * *

Across the city, atop one of the many skyscrapers, a glowing portal opened and two unlikely partners emerged. Etrigan showed his displeasure at the method of travel by brushing imaginary dust from his clothes.

"Well, we're here," Morgan Le Fey stated with displeasure. Are we close enough for that mongrel device to find Maeve?"

"No," he growled after examining the enchanted GPS. "There is enough residual energy to verify that this is the right city, but there will have to be another disturbance before it can pinpoint a more precise location."

"So what? We wait until she starts to lose control again?" the spell caster spoke as if the search was already taking longer than she had time for.

"Unless you can provide some useful information." The demon stared out at the city. "Like where in Metropolis she might want to go?"

"Don't take that tone with me creature," she snarled.

"Then make yourself useful and tell me where the child might go," he snarled back.

Morgan thought about it. "When she was younger she often spoke of wanting to go to a festival or other place where the peasantry gathered for petty amusements. Fortunately I was able to cure her of such desires."

"Then the best place to start looking would be the convention centers and other such gathering places."

"Absent minded beast," Morgan snapped. "I just said she no longer desires such interactions."

The demon looked at her with a knowing smirk. "She's a teenage girl who just ran away from home. Every fun thing you forbade will be near the top of her to do list." He ignored her next words and turned his focus inward to talk with his human counterpart. "Well Jason, where should we start?"

"There are two convention centers in this city that are hosting major science fiction conventions," Jason said.

"So we flip a coin and hope she's into sci-fi?" Etrigan did not sound thrilled with the prospect.

"Given her desire to escape an over protective technophobe mother, I'd say it was a good bet that she's at least curious."

"But what about the admission fee? Even with her impressive shielding, if she was using magic to get her way the EGPS would register something."

"Only if she was using her own magic excessively, the way her mother does. She's trying to hide so she's probably using her magic sparingly and/or using a magic item or two."

"Then we would need to be in the same building to detect her." Etrigan returned his attention to Morgan. "Did Maeve take any magic items when she left home?"

"Just some trinkets; a rather weak conversion amulet, her bag of holding, her magic mirror, and a demon's purse," Morgan said as if the items couldn't possibly be of importance.

Etrigan could hardly believe his ears when he heard that last item. "How did you get a demon's purse and why would you want it?" Demon purses were cursed items used by demons to lure the greedy. To demons, and those of demon blood, they were a harmless source of money, but to humans, they were a life draining addiction that could destroy a town with greed. Even those whose powers made them immortal had been known to come close to death because they used such a purse.

"I don't need to explain myself to you. Just do your job and find my daughter."

"Keep your temper Etrigan," Jason advised. "Why she kept a cursed item that most spell casters would destroy isn't important now. What is important is that a teenage half demon girl has the magical equivalent of an unlimited credit card. Ask her about the other items."

Etrigan grumbled a curse but saw the wisdom of the human's words, and asked the witch about the bag, the mirror, and the conversion amulet.

"The bag is one of the first magic items I taught her to make. She still hasn't perfected the spell to make it limitless, but it can hold a considerable amount," Morgan said with pride. Such bags were common among wizards and other magic users, but for beginners the capacity of the first bag they make was often seen as a gage of magical potential. Even so, trying to find her through that common creation would be like trying to find someone through the ham radio he built from a kit. "The mirror was a birthday gift to keep her occupied when I was busy with her brother. And the amulet is just a novelty item that changes the form of an inanimate object without changing the function."

The image of Maeve watching Star Trek on her magic mirror while Morgan was giving Mordred a bath popped into the demon's head. "So she has a source of money, probably the equivalent of a TV education of the outside world, an amulet that gives her the ability to change medieval garments into something from Old Navy or Gap, and this didn't seem like pertinent information?"

"As I said, they're just trinkets. It's not like she can use the amulet to give herself a proper castle. Just change her clothes and any items small enough for her to carry."

Etrigan wished he had a reflective surface so he could exchange looks with Jason. Clearly the child thought more like her human father than her sorceress mother. "Come on, we have a Sci-fi con to investigate," he said as he made for the roof access. Casting a spell as he walked that would conceal them both unless his companion did something stupid to attract attention.

* * *

Clark watched Jimmy's new girlfriend with a mix of amusement and concern. This being his first time at a science fiction convention he was a little overwhelmed himself, but his experience as a reporter, not to mention his visits to state fairs and the few times the circus came to Smallville, gave him some control. She clearly showed a mix of excitement and terror. Like this was the first time she had been at a gathering of any sort. He wasn't sure if she was going to bolt for the door or dive right in. Either way, Jimmy would probably be pulled along with her judging from the way she stayed close to him. Clark was contemplating asking the girl if he could interview her later when Lois took charge of the group.

"Come on kids. Scott Backula isn't due to do his Q&A about the new Quantum Leap movie for another hour, so where do you want to go first in this geek collective?"

"How about the merchant's area?" Maeve inquired. Getting strange looks from Lois and Jimmy. The place where we can by things?" she said uncertainly.

"I think she means the dealer's room," Jimmy supplied.

Lois just shrugged. "OK kid. But if you want anything, it comes out of your money. And remember we came in my car so we don't have much room."

"OK, Miss Lane," Maeve agreed.

As they made their way to where the dealer's room was set up Clark decided to X-ray Maeve's wallet just in case she didn't have enough to cover whatever prize caught her eye. Much to his surprise, he found that something about her pants pocket made it difficult for him to see her wallet, and something about the wallet itself made seeing into it impossible. The more he tried, the more solid it seemed to become. Reminding him of the first time he tried to see into Dr. Fate's tower. Clearly there was more to this girl than her appearance would suggest.

The dealer's room proved to be everything Maeve had hoped for. She was sure the sight of these merchants selling their wares to the diverse patrons of the convention was mundane to Jimmy and his friends, but she felt like a child on her first trip to the candy store. She didn't know where to start and wished that she had brought her bag of holding.

Seeing her indecision, Jimmy decided to take the lead by guiding her towards a dealer who was selling shirts and costumes while Clark guided Lois in a different direction. "We meet back here in half an hour," Clark called over his shoulder.

"And make sure to snap some good pictures," Lois added.

"Don't worry," Jimmy called back before turning his attention to Maeve just as the reached the dealer. "Now I know this is your first time at one of these things," Jimmy advised, "but don't rush out and buy the first thing that catches your eye. Browse around and see if there is a better deal."

"Is that what I should have done with you?" Maeve teased. "Browsed around for a better deal?"

Jimmy blushed and looked away. "Well with me you got lucky, but you can't expect your luck to be good all the time."

Maeve smiled and wrapped her arm around his. "Once is enough for me." She then began perusing the costumes like they were the latest in finery.

* * *

"So Lois," Clark asked his partner, "what do you think of Jimmy's new girlfriend?"

"She's hiding something," the raven haired reporter stated as she examined a coffee mug in the shape of Etrigan's head. It was part of an entire league approved product line that donated heavily to charity. "For one thing, do you remember her earlier slip? She paused before saying house. Probably grew up in a mansion or something. And then there are her clothes. They look like something store bought, but fit her as if they were tailor made."

"So she's a rich runaway," Clark said in hopes Lois would drop it. "She seems nice and certainly seems to like Jimmy."

"Somehow, I don't think it's that mundane Smallville. Call it my reporter's instincts, or maybe paranoia from too many strange things in my life, but I think Maeve is hiding something bigger than a wealthy background. I just hope Jimmy isn't hurt too badly when the truth comes out."

* * *

Maeve's parents had been searching the convention for several hours and her mother was getting impatient with the search's lack of progress. The fact that her appearance was a popular costume among the cross dressers in attendance wasn't helping. "You don't honestly expect our daughter to be associating with these…" Morgan Le Fey was clearly at a loss for words as she eyed two convention goers who were dressed as sleastacks from two different Land of the Lost TV shows. The costumes were of impressive quality and the convention goers were arguing over which version was better. The original Sleastack, which looked like a nude humanoid salamander, or the newer but more obscure version that reminded Etrigan of a dragon man in gothic armor.

"From what little you actually know about the child, she seems open to new experiences," the demon stated as he pretended to consult the EGPS. In truth, he was thinking about the Morgan Le Fey action figure he had seen in the dealer's room and wondering if it could be used as a voodoo doll.

"Are you saying I don't know my own daughter you malodorous mongrel?"

"Steady Etrigan," Jason cautioned from within his partner's head. "We don't want to cause trouble with all these people around. Now repeat after me."

"I'm saying she may surprise you. She's in a new world and wants to explore. Much as you were when Merlin began your training," the demon dutifully repeated as sincerely as he could stomach.

"Your words lose much when they come from your demon's mouth Jason," she scoffed. Knowing her former lover could hear her.

"Listen witch," Etrigan snapped. "You came to us because you needed our help. The fact that this child ran away is a clear indication that you don't know her as well as you think you do. Right now, the best lead we have is that she might be at a gathering like this. So we're going to follow it until it either proves false, or we have something more to go on. So unless you can provide more information, stop whining."

"So much for not causing trouble," Jason said, but before the sorceress could reply, the EGPS started beeping. They looked at the device's display. Modern maps were one of the few things about this world of science that Morgan bothered learning about.

"Sounds like our daughter is calling us again," Morgan said as she began the gesture that would open the portal. Etrigan grabbed her wrist before the portal could start forming.

"Not here," he stated as he led her out of the crowed and to an area of the convention that wasn't in use. "You cause a disturbance in Metropolis and we'll attract the attention of Superman. I don't want to waste time explaining things to him if it can be avoided."

"Oh very well," she sighed. "I'll do it your way so you don't lose face among your annoying playmates. For now." She opened the portal and followed Etrigan through it. Both hoping that it would bring them one step closer to finding their daughter before it was too late.


	6. Betrayal

**Betrayal**

Jimmy Olson couldn't believe the day he'd had so far. He and Maeve had spent an hour just browsing the dealer's room before rejoining Clark and Lois for the Scot Backula Q&A where Maeve had sat in strange fascination as fans of the series had bombarded the star with questions about his new movie. Lois had of course asked a rather probing question, which Bacula had answered politely but quickly before moving on to the next question.

After that, they were free to browse again until the next event and Jimmy was dragged back to the dealer's room where Maeve had bought several bags worth of merchandise. Some for herself, some for Jimmy, a couple gifts for everyone else she had met so far in Metropolis, and a coffee mug shaped like Etrigan's head. Jimmy thought he was one of the scariest members of the Justice League, but Maeve just giggled when she looked at it and said it would be perfect as a gift for her father when she finally found him.

Right now Jimmy was sitting at a table in the overpriced food court with her purchases. Taking a well deserved rest while she used the restroom. He found himself smiling despite becoming his girlfriend's pack mule. Maeve had a childlike excitement that he could swear even affected Lois. Still, he was glad Lois didn't have much room in her car because he was sure that was the only thing holding her back on this shopping spree. For a girl who had been largely isolated, she seemed to have an inexhaustible supply of money. Almost as if she had a magic wallet or something.

"Hey kiddo. Fancy meeting you here." The familiar female voice startled Jimmy out of his thoughts. And upon seeing the owner of that voice he grew suspicious of her and very protective of his camera.

"What are you doing here?" Jimmy said, trying to sound tough despite knowing what Volcana could do.

"Is that any way to talk to an old friend?" the red haired fire elemental said with a smirk as she sat down at the table. Were it not for her criminal past, the tall gorgeous woman could easily be a supermodel. Even Jimmy could tell that the red jacket and black dress she was wearing were probably from JC Penny, but she made them look good and he knew Lois still wondered how she managed hair that was almost long enough to reach her ankles.

"Friend? The first time we met you fried the film in my camera!"

"Well given my line of work at the time I couldn't afford to let you have a picture of me," she stated. "You're a cute little shutterbug, but not cute enough to let it slide."

"The next time I heard of you. You had joined the Legion of Doom or what ever that organization of super villains called itself."

"Yeah, a lot of us quit after the whole battle with granite face and his army of ugly. Unlike Evil Star and some of my other, more costumed associates though, I couldn't just take off the funny pajamas and blend in with the crowd. But I've served my time and have decided to find a career with better benefits and fewer legal problems."

Jimmy scoffed, "I'll believe that when I see it."

A manila folder was tossed onto the table and a few pictures spilled out. "There's your proof," she stated. "I spent some of my own money on these in the hopes of impressing some movie producer who's supposed to be here."

Jimmy picked one of the pictures up off the table and examined it. I hope you didn't pay too much for these."

"Why? What's wrong with them?"

"Nothing. If all you want to do is show people what you look like in the sci-fi version of the chainmail bikini. But if you really want to get the attention of a producer you need pictures that are expressive. Here, let me take a look at the other pictures and maybe I can show you."

* * *

Maeve checked her long red hair in the restroom mirror as she washed her hands. Modern plumbing was one of the few technologies that her mother allowed in the castle and she had learned from reading the signs and watching the other women that she was supposed to wash her hands afterwards. The water wasn't as hot as she preferred, but she liked the smell and feel of the liquid soap.

She had also seen other women fix their makeup, but she had never worn that so she didn't need to. Still, her mother had taught her that even the natural beauty of a princess must be maintained. So she checked her appearance when she got the chance.

Once the soap had been washed off she went to the blowing box to dry her hands with it's warm wind. She loved these modern devices and couldn't understand why her mother hated technology so much. Oh she had heard the tirade often enough to recite it. How it was technology that had corrupted her older brother Mordred and turned him against their mother. And because of that, he was now stuck in the withered and useless old body until Morgan could restore him. Maeve always suspected that there was more to the story than her mother was willing to admit. She just couldn't understand how such wondrous non-magical devices could do that to the golden boy her mother was always comparing her to.

Hands dry and hair perfect, she left the ladies' room (a loose use of the term she was sure) and went to find Jimmy in the food court. She was glad she had "barrowed" that purse from her mother's collection of magic items and used the conversion amulet she had also "barrowed" to change it into a wallet. Judging from the way Jimmy's eyes widened when she made some of her purchases, she was spending more than he made.

She was not so glad to see her knight talking to a strange woman. Maeve recognized the type from the TV shows she would watch on her magic mirror. This was a seductress who lured men from their women. Like those black widows from that episode of Special Unit 2, or any of a number of women from those addictive daytime dramas. The sight of a woman like this so close to Jimmy filled Maeve with an instant hatred and a primal desire to see this threat burn. That desire intensified when she got close enough to hear the rival red head's next words.

"So, any of these pictures fit for that 'private collection' of yours?" the woman inquired with more amusement than Maeve liked.

"No way lady. I learned my lesson the last time," Jimmy stated firmly and without hesitation. "Besides, I don't think my girlfriend would appreciate me adding pictures of other women to that collection."

That confirmed it for Maeve. This woman was trying to seduce Jimmy, had apparently done so before, and deserved to burn. That desire was subconsciously channeled through her power and would have been enough to manifest itself had the target been a normal woman. Still, it was enough to send a mild tremor in the magical field strong enough to be detected by those who were looking for it.

"And where is this girl of yours," the woman inquired looking around. Her eyes locked with Maeve's and a knowing look came into them. "I'm guessing she's the young lady glaring at me like I might steal you away."

Jimmy looked up from the pictures he was holding and upon seeing the expression on Maeve's face he blushed and tried to stammer an explanation until the woman smacked him lightly on the shoulder.

"Oh don't act so guilty," she said with a smile. "We're just old friends who haven't seen each other in a while." She turned her attention back to Maeve. "Don't stand there like a lump. Come over here and let me see who Jimmy-boy likes so much?"

Maeve walked over and moved one of the chairs so she could sit between her knight and the woman he was with. She was still suspicious, but her desire for spontaneous combustion had died down.

"Much better," the woman said with a warm smile. "Jimmy, why didn't you tell me she was so gorgeous? No wonder you were asking me what women like for presents. I'm Claire by the way, and you?"

"Maeve," she replied. Blushing at Claire's complement and rethinking her initial opinion of the woman. She still saw Claire as a predator, but no longer felt threatened by her presense. Then Maeve noticed the pictures on the table. "What are these?" she asked as she picked one up, it looked like Claire in a space bikini with high heeled boots.

"Oh I just wanted your boyfriend's expert opinion on some pictures I had taken. I'm trying to get the attention of a movie producer here."

"I hope you have better pictures," Maeve said, trying to sound professional. Noticing the look Claire exchanged with Jimmy as she said this.

"What, you're a photographer too?" Claire asked incredulously.

Maeve smiled. "No, but Jimmy has been teaching me about pictures."

Claire laughed and Maeve found that she liked this woman's laugh. "I guess, if even a rookie can tell that there's something lacking, I was overcharged. If I don't get this producer's attention, remind me to ask for my money back on the pictures. Or burn his studio down." She added this last bit as if it were a casual afterthought, but again at Jimmy's fearful expression and said, "Just kidding." Jimmy gave her a wary look before resuming his examination of her pictures and Maeve wondered what he knew about Claire's past.

* * *

Morgan Le Fey emerged from a portal on top of the convention center. Followed closely by Etrigan, whose attention was focused on the Enchanted GPS in his hand.

"Are you sure our daughter is in this eyesore?" Morgan inquired with clear disgust as she let her companion take the lead.

"The disturbance is already dissipating, but the EGPS confirms that the epicenter was in this building. We are also close enough now for me to sense her presence."

"Good, then your services to me are now at an end." Morgan's statement barely had time to register before the demon felt a blast of energy strike his back and rendered him unconscious. "I'm sorry Jason. But I have plans for out daughter, and they don't include your pet demon." Morgan made her way to the roof access. Casting a barrier spell as soon as she was inside to make sure no one entered or left until she had reclaimed her wayward child.

* * *

Gerald Sighed. By some miracle, the stream of geeks, nerds, and other convention goers had finally dried up for the day, but he and his buddies were still stationed at the entrance in case of stragglers and anyone trying to get in without paying. Fortunately, there were more than enough guys to handle any problem that could arise while he popped inside for a quick bathroom break. He reached for the door and pulled. The door didn't budge. He tried again. Then he tried the other doors before getting on the communication network and calling for a perimeter check. The other personnel checked back from their respective posts confirming that all exits had somehow been sealed. Something was going down and his ass was on the line if he couldn't handle it as quietly as possible.


	7. When Worlds Collide

**When Worlds Collide**

Maeve felt her mother's barrier like a cage dropping down on her and had to fight the urge to test the barrier. With so few magic users of her caliber left in the world Morgan Le Fey had grown sloppy when it came to concealing her magic. A skill Maeve had perfected before leaving the castle. She tightened her shields without pausing in her amateur examination of Claire's pictures. The shields would keep her magic hidden and she hoped that the convention was enough to keep her physical form hidden from sight.

"So, how do you and Jimmy know each other?" Maeve asked Claire as much to distract herself from worrying about her mother as out of genuine curiosity.

The woman with the long red hair gave Jimmy a shocked look. "You haven't told your girlfriend about me yet?" she inquired as if it was a scandalous omission.

Maeve shifted her attention to her knight who coughed nervously as he placed another picture into one of three piles. "We've had more interesting things to talk about," he said as if trying to sound dismissive despite fear of retribution.

"Oh really?" Claire smirked. "And what have you two been 'talking' about?" Her look implied that she had an idea, but wanted the details.

Jimmy blushed at the innuendo. "Why don't we focus more on these pictures," he said as he pulled another one from the folder, glanced at it, and then hastily put it back. His blush deepened. "On second thought, why don't you tell us more about this producer you want to impress?"

"Why? What is it about that picture that's making you blush?" Claire grabbed her folder and looked at the offending photo. "Aww, you're embarrassed about seeing this little thing?"

"May I see it?" Maeve asked when Jimmy failed to stammer a coherent reply.

"Sure Maeve," Claire said as she handed the folder over.

The younger redhead opened the folder and stared in shock at the picture. She knew from her mirror that lovers could see each other naked, and she had often been nude with her mother when bathing or performing certain rituals, but for Claire to have such a clear picture of her naked body in a folder intended for a stranger's eyes was beyond Maeve's experience. She wasn't sure is she should be scandalized by this woman's audacity, or impressed by her courage.

"If you're interested I can get you a shoot with my photographer," Claire said casually while looking Maeve over. "You look legal and you have a body almost as hot as mine. Maybe we could even do a group shot and give the guy a nosebleed." She chuckled at the image in her own mind.

Maeve hid her blush behind the picture. She was flattered, embarrassed, and a little confused by what Claire was saying, but drew on some of her mother's lessons on courtly behavior for her response. "I already have a very satisfactory photographer and prefer my image to be captured by someone skilled in the craft."

"Well then maybe your photographer should have the honor of taking that picture of us?" Claire said while casting a knowing smirk to Jimmy. She was clearly enjoying the embarrassment she was causing, but despite the friendship that was forming between the two women, the thought of Claire posing in front of Jimmy, especially in the nude, stirred an instinctive thought in Maeve that could best be translated as _MINE.

* * *

_

Morgan Le Fey suppressed a snarl of frustration. That demon had said he could sense Maeve here and she didn't need that mongrel device of his to sense the residual energy this close to their daughter, but there wasn't enough to pinpoint the source. The fact that some of these convention buffoons actually had some magic potential with, at best, only an instinctive understanding of shielding, made the search that much more difficult. It was like trying to find a diamond in the shadows amidst a collection of cubit zirconium and other, les valuable stones resting in direct sunlight. The distracting presence had led her into the men's privy once already. Much to her annoyance, she was mistaken for one of the cross dressers wearing her outfit. "Perhaps my search would be easier if I hadn't taken out Etrigan," she mused. But she knew he would release Maeve's demonic power in a controlled manner to protect this city, and for tonight's ritual to proceed the way she envisioned it, those powers must remain bound until she was ready to drain them.

* * *

Etrigan muttered a string of curses in a language lost to the human race as he regained consciousness "I should have snapped her neck when I had the chance!" His words were further emphasized by his fist slamming into the roof. The barrier now sealing the building was the only thing that kept his fist from going through. "I could have mounted it over the fireplace as a going away gift by now."

"And then Metropolis would have become a smoking ruin," Jason stated in the demon's head.

"We don't know that for sure," Etrigan countered halfheartedly as he got to his feet and noted the lack of damage to the roof. "It appears we were merely the escort service and weren't invited to the family reunion."

"Can you break the barrier?"

The demon studied the energy for a moment. "I can set up the spell, but she's bound it to the building with a considerable amount of power. The only way I can break it without smashing the building is to have a direct line of sight on her." He looked around and staggered over to the skylight. "If we're lucky, we'll either see our enemy, or our daughter," he said as he looked through the clear Plexiglas onto what looked like a dining area. A flash of demonic energy, too small and brief to register on the EGPS and invisible to those who didn't know what to look for, directed their attention to a table where a red haired young man was leaving two lovely red haired women in a manner that Jason recognized form his youth.

"I remember that walk from when Aunt Lenora met a lady I was courting. I had to leave the conversation with the excuse of getting both ladies drinks before I passed out from embarrassment."

"I remember. Recurring nightmare #37 I think." Etrigan smiled briefly at what he considered to be one of Jason's more amusing embarrassments. "But if that flash means anything, one of those females is our daughter. She's probably feeling some negative emotions towards the woman she's with. A fire elemental by the look of her aura."

"Can you tell them apart?"

"Not at this distance. The auras of fire demons and fire elementals are so close many have theorized about a common ancestor."

"Will the elemental be a problem?"

The demon smiled. "Only for the witch."

* * *

Mercy muttered a curse as she watched the security cameras. She had just gotten out of a meeting with representatives of the other convention sponsors when she was told of the unusual lockdown. Now she was trying to figure out who had generated the energy field while at the same time putting a plan into place to keep the convention attendants from panicking. What she couldn't figure out was who was doing this and why. True there was some technology being showcased to the public, but it was entertainment technology. Most of which was just a new application of tech that already existed. Nothing worth the cost of a force field this size. So who had done this and what were they after?

"Ma'am. Perhaps we should locate the reporters from the Daily Planet," one of the guards dressed in a Babylon 5 security uniform suggested. It was a theme for the convention that the overt security members were dressed as security officers of one sci-fi or another.

"Why? Do you think they may be involved with whoever saran wrapped the building?"

"Well no, but you know what they say about Lois Lane…"

Mercy had to suppress the urge to reprimand him for giving voice to popular rumor, partially because she had been thinking along the same lines. Practically the entire city knew that, when there was trouble, Lois Lane could usually be found in the middle of it. "Fine, locate them," she said as she grabbed a communication unit and headed for the door. "But covertly and let me be the one to approach them. If Lois sees a bunch of uniforms keeping an eye on her she'll know something is up. If you need me I'll be in the convention proper."

* * *

Lois looked around carefully to make sure Clark and Jimmy were no where near as she approached the dealer. After making such a fuss about covering the convention it would be embarrassing for them to find her indulging in this guilty pleasure. The only reason she was risking this purchase was that merchandise related to her favorite sci-fi was hard to find and the last time she had bought one of these off Ebay she wasn't happy with the condition it came in. Here she could examine it before buying. Fortunately she had a bag to hide her prize.

"How much is this?" she asked as she examined the figure to make sure there weren't any missing parts.

"Ah, I can see you have an eye for quality," the dealer a heavyset yet well muscled man in a Star Wars flight suit turned to her with a practiced smile. "That is a…"

"I know who she is," Lois said as patiently as she could manage. "What I want to know is how much and do you have the accessories?"

"She?" The dealer's face brightened and his smile turned genuine. "Then you're a fan of the show rather than the questionable video game." He rummaged under the table and pulled out a small Ziploc bag containing the weapons and clan banner. "I've lost too many accessories to thieves and klutzes to risk displaying them with the figures."

"How much?"

"Well, normally I'd charge $50.00 for such a rare figure in this condition, but for a fellow fan of the series, $45.00."

"$30.00 and I mention you favorably in my article."

"So the famous Lois Lane can haggle." The dealer was impressed as he wrote the information on a notepad. "Mention my website too and it's a deal."

"Everyone has a website these days," Lois muttered. "Alright I'll see what I can do but no promises on that part."

"Fair enough." He tore out the note out and put it, and her purchase, in a box before taking his pay and handing the box to her.

"Hey Lois." Clark's sudden appearance almost caused the raven haired reporter to drop her prize. Fortunately for her and the dealer, who visibly paled, she hastily regained her grip and slipped the box into her bag without her partner seeing it. "Are you ready to join back up with Jimmy and Maeve?"

"Yeah, I'm just finishing up an interview. They're at the food court right?"

"Yep. We better hurry if we want to eat before the next event."

"Lead on Smallvile."

* * *

"And you're sure that's a good idea?" Maeve asked wide eyed.

Claire had to stifle a laugh. Maeve's naiveté was almost as unbelievable as it was endearing. Jimmy had left a few minutes ago to get food. Leaving Claire to give some much needed advice to Maeve, who was fast becoming a surrogate little sister. "Trust me girl. It's never failed me."

"But Jimmy seemed embarrassed to see me in my undergarments. If I were to wear the outfits you suggest…"

"Yeah, that may have been too much too fast for the poor boy. Just save the idea for when the fires of romance seem to be dying. Trust me Maeve. You won't regret it," Claire said in a way that showed that she knew what she was talking about.

"A shame you'll never get a chance to use that advice," a woman's voice stated. A voice that to Claire all but screamed British nobility. They turned to see someone dressed like Morgan Le Fey. Maeve cringed, but Claire took a different approach.

"Excuse me, but this is a private conversation." Claire moved to stand between the woman and Maeve.

"A conversation that is now at an end. I'm taking my daughter home." The woman moved to go around Claire, who moved to maintain the block.

"Well it's clear she doesn't want to go home. So I suggest we sit down and talk about it," Claire said, trying to keep things civil.

"Insolent harlot! No one tells Morgan Le Fey what to do!"

"Look, I don't care what cross dresser Icon you're dressed up as. Maeve's a friend of mine so I'm not…" Claire was blasted aside before she could finish.

* * *

"Claire!" Maeve screamed as her friend was sent over the table.

"Don't worry child she's merely stunned," her mother said as she walked over to Maeve and quickly manacled her wrists, thus binding her body and her powers. "I hate to do this, but those should keep you from using your magic until tonight's ceremony. Now let's leave this gathering of freaks. A lady such as you should not be exposed to such uncouth influences." She dragged her daughter away from the table by the chain linking the manacles and was about to cast the portal spell to the ceremony location when something struck her in the back and broke her concentration.

Jimmy couldn't believe what he'd done. He was on his way back with a tray of food when he saw Claire get taken out by a person who must be the real Morgan Le Fey. The smart thing would have been to pull back and signal Superman, but when he saw her chain and start to drag Maeve away he didn't stop to think. He just dumped the food and threw the tray at her like a rectangular Frisbee. The impact broke the spell, but now he was facing a very angry spell caster.

"Jimmy Run!" Maeve shouted snapping him out of his shock but not in time to dodge the spell that sent unbelievable pain shooting through every nerve in his body. He heard a scream, possibly his own, and then the world turned black.

* * *

Clark that sounded like…" Lois trailed off as she turned to find Clark had done one of his disappearing acts again. One of these days she planned to ask him about that, but right now she had to run to the food court where she knew Jimmy and his girl were in trouble.


	8. Power to Power

**Power to Power**

"Witless witch!" Etrigan snarled. He and Jason watched as their long time adversary took out a red haired woman before doing something to seal the powers of the teen the woman had been protecting. Based on their auras, Etrigan could tell that the woman was merely stunned, but it still clearly upset the girl, who's increasingly demonic aura both marked her clearly as the child they had come to Metropolis for, and served as a magical pressure gauge for power that had been locked since the girl's infancy. "At your insistence I allied myself with her in hopes of finding our daughter before her demonic heritage could destroy the city. Now the arrogant spell caster is accelerating that disaster!" He slammed his fist against the barrier coating the building and keeping anyone from entering or leaving.

"Calm down and focus on the spell to remove the barrier," Jason said as calmly as he could from within his partner's mind. "Maybe there's still time to calm Maeve down before…" Jason trailed off as they saw a brave fool throw a tray at Morgan. Breaking her concentration before her portal could form fully. The witch's retaliatory blast upset Maeve further, causing her to emit a powerful wave of demonic energy. Not enough to break the binding holding back her full heritage, but enough to both be felt by even those not attuned to magic, and shake the barrier. Jason and Etrigan muttered curses in several languages as the demon braced himself against the skylight. They didn't know how much time they had before, but they were both sure that time had just been cut in half.

* * *

"Jimmy!" Maeve cried out as she struggled against her mother's grip on the chain connecting the manacles that bound both her wrists and her powers. She wasn't aware of the energy wave she had released when she saw her boyfriend fall. Nor did she see the unseen energy cause a mix of paralysis and panic in the others in the food court. Her world had narrowed to herself, her mother, and the young man now lying on the floor.

"Calm down Maeve," Morgan scolded as if her daughter was still a five year old throwing a tantrum. "He was just an insolent peasant."

"**HE IS MY KNIGHT!"** Maeve declared in a deep animalistic voice as another, more directed surge of power ran through the chain and burned her mother's hand, thus forcing the sorceress to let go. Heedless of the impossibility of what she had just done Maeve ran towards Jimmy. Breaking the chain linking the manacles as she did so.

* * *

"She claims that worthless youth as her knight?" Morgan Le Fey wasn't sure which impossibility stunned her more. Maeve all but declaring her love for a peasant she must have only met recently, or her overpowering, and then breaking, manacles that were forged to contain Merlin himself. The Sorceress snapped herself out of it and raised her hand to cast a spell on her daughter. "I'm sorry child. But you give me no choice."

* * *

After a quick change in a maintenance closet he had scouted earlier, Clark arrived at the food court as Superman just as Maeve reached Jimmy. Most of the convention goers had run and security was probably trying to keep them from causing a panic.

A quick glance told him all he immediately needed to know. Jimmy was down, Maeve leaning over him, and Morgan Le Fey was about to hit the girl with a spell. Superman grabbed an abandoned Cylon helmet and threw it in the path of the spell, which hit the reflective surface and went wide.

"Who dares?" the witch snarled as she turned to see where the obstruction had come from. Superman wished his X-ray vision worked on her mask so he could see the expression when she saw him. "How did you get through my barrier?"

"Paid the admission fee," he said casually as he assumed a deceptively nonchalant stance. He didn't like the sound of this barrier she was talking about, but he figured Morgan Le Fey was the greater threat.

"You shall pay for your insolence!" She was about to launch another spell when she was struck by a fireball. A quick spell dowsed the flames and they both turned to see Volcana getting unsteadily to her feet.

"Hey Superman," the elemental shouted to the surprised hero. "Do your hero thing and get those two kids out of here. Goldie and I have a dance to finish." She fired another burst of flame at the singed sorceress who deflected it and unleashed a volley of ice which the elemental dodged.

Superman hesitated only a moment before rushing to Jimmy and Maeve. He didn't know why Volcana was here or what her part was in this, but he was glad of the help and figured questions like that could wait until after the fight was over. Right now he had to make sure her efforts weren't wasted. "How's Jimmy?" he asked Maeve. Noticing as he did that her hands were glowing and she was chanting through her tears.

She paused in her chanting to reply, "He's dying Clark! I-I'm trying to heal him! I really am! But Mother hurt him badly!"

"Calm down Maeve, "Superman said, putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Ignoring for the moment that she just used his real name and claimed Morgan Le Fey as her mother. Those, and her apparent powers, were just a few more questions that weren't important now. "You're doing fine. Just calm down and focus on healing him enough for me to transport him to a hospital safely. Understand?"

She nodded and resumed her chanting. As she did so Superman examined his pal. Even with Maeve's healing powers his injuries were still to severe to risk moving him. Maeve was probably the only reason the young photographer was still alive and, judging from how pale she seemed, the effort was taking its toll. He was sure she could stabilize him, but half expected both would need help afterward.

* * *

Lois knew she was on to something when she saw the people running from the food court. Whatever had scared them had also been felt by the rest of the convention. Even she had felt the strong sense of danger. But she had learned long ago that danger meant headlines. The security team was hard pressed to keep things under control so it was easy for her to slip past and make her way to the epicenter of this headline in the making.

* * *

"Sir. Miss Lane has been spotted headed for the food court," a guard said over Mercy's com unit.

"Can you tell me what's going on in that area?" Mercy asked as she made her way through the crowd. She had been checking the setup for the next interview in case Lois and her supporting cast were there already. Now she was headed for the food court at a fast walk.

"Negative. An unknown energy discharge disabled the cameras. Though based on what was recorded before we lost surveillance, we have an attempted abduction and possible homicide with a weapon of unknown origin. We lost the cameras soon after that, followed by a mass panic."

"Any idea what caused the panic?" Callous as it might sound to others she knew the panic was too severe for a single homicide.

"Not yet. Priority is on isolating and reassuring the affected people though some questions have been asked. Nothing useful so far."

"Have as many security members as can be spared head for the food court. I want this stopped before anyone is hurt."

"Our best team is already on their way. They should meet you there."

"Good. Keep me informed." She was proud of her security team for containing and calming the panicked people, but wasn't sure they could keep it that way unless the source was discovered and neutralized. And she was going to make sure that it was.

* * *

Volcana wasn't sure where this second wind had come from, but she wasn't going to question it. A quick glance told her that Blue Boy needed some time before he could move Jimmy and she was going to give him that time. Besides, she owed this witch for that sucker punch earlier. "Is this all the infamous Morgan Le Fey can do?" she taunted as she deflected another blast of ice. She was still too groggy to fly, but felt she could hold her own on the ground. "Fighting fire with ice? Maybe I should be fighting Madam Mim. At least she had some imagination."

"You dare mock me!" An ice golem formed and charged at Volcana. A blast of heat liquefied the frozen puppet, but the water snaked its way to where she was standing and the golem quickly reformed around her. The elemental could hear the smirk in her opponent's voice as she said, "well child. You were almost an amusing diversion, but it's time for me to take my daughter and depart from this cesspool of delusion." She turned her attention away from the encased elemental and towards where Superman was standing guard over Maeve and Jimmy. "After I remove one final obstruction."

Volcana would have screamed in rage if she could.

* * *

A blast from behind sent Superman flying. A second spell wrapped him in a mass of tentacles. This distraction forced Maeve to look up. A glance was all she needed to recognize the siphon beast. One of her mother's newest acquisitions used to replenish energy by draining the caster's opponent. A caster Maeve's attention now turned to.

"I have grown tired of this rebellion daughter," Morgan Le Fey said with annoyance as she approached like a regal snake. The glowing seven point star pendent showing that she was already draining Superman of his energy. "Come with me now and I'll let the elemental and this," she indicated Superman as if he was a distasteful heap, "meddlesome hero live."

"I'm not leaving Jimmy!" Maeve stated through tears.

Her mother sighed. "The boy is beneath your notice. You are a princess. He is nothing but a peasant who has overstepped his station. The spell I cast is a mild but fair punishment for such a transgression. Your attempt to heal him cannot overcome my magic and merely postpone his fate. But since you will not see the truth…." To Maeve's horror her mother prepared a spell to finish Jimmy with all the emotion of someone swatting an insect. Before the spell was released another one struck and Maeve felt it shatter both her mother's concentration and the barrier around the building. Morgan turned around and glared up at the skylight just as a yellow demon in a red tunic and blue cape broke through. Landing with such force on the table beneath it that the table collapsed. Maeve knew that this was Etrigan. The cruel demon bound to her father by the evil Merlin. Though now she was beginning to doubt that her mother was telling the whole truth in that story.

* * *

"Batman makes that look like fun," Etrigan muttered under his breath as he stood and faced his foe with the hope that his dramatic entrance looked better than it felt. "Leave the child alone witch!" he shouted. "It's clear our daughter has found her prince and your actions will only doom this city!"

"Prince?" Morgan scoffed. "This peon would barely rank as a page and you call him a prince?"

"For the sake of one he cares for he struck a blow against you with naught but a meal tray," Etrigan stated, picking his next words carefully as he moved to stand between Le Fey and her Ice golem. "In my book such action makes him princelier than that spoiled whelp you sired with your own brother."

"You DARE!" She let lose with a blast from both hands that would have flash fried Etrigan if he hadn't dodged. Instead the blast reduced her golem to steam and left the fire elemental unconscious, but breathing.

"OK Jason. The elemental is free and the child is no longer the focus of Le Fey's attention," Etrigan thought to his partner as he continued to dodge and deflect attacks. Fortunately the few remaining mortals had snapped out of it and ran when he made his dramatic, if cliché, entrance so he didn't have to worry about protecting the idiots.

"Now you can take her out. But try not to kill her. We don't know how Maeve will react to that."

"Judging from their recent interaction I doubt the girl would react that negatively."

"Are you willing to wager this city on that?"

It was a mark of how living among humans had corrupted him that the demon had to answer no. He had always sneered at the heroes for having the restriction of not killing their foes. Now he was stuck with such a restriction. What else could go wrong with his day?

* * *

Lois had made it to the food court in time to see Etrigan's dramatic entrance. She wondered briefly if Bruce knew how many members of his hero club were swiping that from him before she got back to business. Taking notes and looking around while concealed behind a set of trash and recycle bins. Trying to get a sense of the situation as one of the creepiest members of the Justice League duked it out with the Arthurian super villain. Already the headline Sci-Fi gets Medieval had been considered and discarded.

"I'm used to Clark not being around when things go blockbuster, but where is Jimmy?" she said to herself. Then her eyes fell on Maeve and the body the young girl was leaning over. It took the reporter's mind an agonizing hour long minute to recognize and accept the impossibility that her eyes were giving her with cruel clarity. Jimmy was down. Possibly dead. So shocked was she by this that she would've been fried by a deflected spell if someone hadn't tackled her from behind.

"Oof. Hey watch where you're shoving!" she shouted before noticing the still molten tops of the bins she had been behind.

"Sorry Lane. There wasn't time to be polite about saving your life," Mercy said before shifting a portion of her attention to he com unit. "Cody, what's the civilian situation?" Lois couldn't hear Cody's side, but Mercy's next words were, "good. Keep the area secure, but do not engage in the fight until we have more information. Repeat, do not engage without further information. I am with Lane and will relay any pertinent information she has." She then turned to Lois. "OK Lane, who are we looking at and why are they crashing my convention?"

"Give me a break Mercy. I just got here."

"And the only reason I'm not calling Cody over here to carry your nosy butt out of here is the fact that you know superheroes. In the biblical sense if the tabloids are to be believed. So spill. Who are we hoping will win?"

Lois glared at the former bodyguard and driver turned corporate head. Her affairs with whatever hero was topping the popularity polls had become as much of a tabloid staple as Elvis sightings, and were almost as fictional. "The guy in red is a demon named Etrigan, and he is the good guy here, though he generally falls under the category of dark hero. The person he's fighting is the real Morgan Le Fey. I don't know what she wants, but whatever it is, we don't want her to have it."

"Any weak spots we can use?"

"Based on the League's public access file on her, she's one of their more formidable magic foes. So I would recommend you tell your team to leave her to her opponent."

At that moment a trick shot from Morgan sent Etrigan flying and he crashed into, and flipped over, the remains if the bins. The crash didn't even phase the demon, but he was now wrapped in a mass of pink tentacles. When Mercy moved to help he snarled a warning before spitting out the tentacle he was chewing on to say, "Stand back woman, lest you wish to be wrapped in this beast with me!" Both Mercy and Lois moved quickly away from him. His warning delivered, he then ignored the two women and focus on trying to break free of the thing trying to squeeze him.

Mercy looked at the struggling demon, and then at Lois saying, "please tell me there is a plan B that my team can use."

* * *

With the apparent defeat of Etrigan, Maeve was once again the focus of her mother's attention. Her own focus had gone deeper into healing Jimmy, but subconsciously she registered the approaching threat and reacted by raising a crude shield around herself and her knight. Halting and enraging the sorceress. While her mother's power raged like a storm against the protective dome, Maeve devoted more energy than she could spare towards undoing what had been done to Jimmy. Both the shield and her healing magic were beginning to draw power from the barrier within Maeve. The barrier her mother had taught her was her only protection against the demon within her. That she had been maintaining constantly and with her own power for so long she no longer felt the strain and had all but forgotten about it and her mother's promise to purge the demon when the time was right.

That promise no longer mattered. Maeve didn't care about the demon struggling to get out, or the sorceress fighting to get in. All that mattered was the young man dying before her. The strain of fighting her mother's magic on two fronts was beginning to take a physical toll as blood from her nose mixed with her tears, but she couldn't stop. In answer to her silent plea for help the barrier within her shattered. As her mind was submerged beneath the flood of demonic energy her last thought was, "protect Jimmy."


	9. Aftershocks

**Aftershocks**

Morgan Le Fey barely had time to shield herself from the shock wave of demonic energy that accompanied her daughter's transformation. She then stared in horror at the blue abomination her daughter had become. The modern peasant garb barely containing the creature as it began to examine the area like an animal looking for danger in a strange environment. Clearly Maeve's time among the fools in this abysmal eyesore of a building had caused the seal within her to break. But maybe there was still time to reseal it before the demoness contaminated Maeve's spirit.

Maeve's shield had shattered when the transformation overtook her. The demoness was too disoriented by the transformation to fight. Now was the perfect time to strike.

* * *

The demoness that Maeve had become was still too feral to understand what was going on in words. All she had were instincts that screamed danger, and now she was trying to find the source of that danger in this alien world. Before she could act on her instincts she was struck by a spell that bound her in place. She knew this magic. It had held her almost motionless in darkness her entire life. A scream of rage died in her unresponsive throat.

"Struggle all you want beast," a woman in a gold mask said. The sneer evident in her voice as she walked over like a predator that was sure of her kill The demoness didn't yet know the strange woman, but didn't need to in order recognize a threat. "Your power will soon be used to restore my son, and my daughter will be free of you in the process. But first…" The woman turned towards the prone figure known to the demoness only as her mate. She could smell death magic forming and knew her mate was about to die unless she did something. Though her body was still weak from the transformation, a lifetime of fighting against the magic of her confinement had made her strong, and the thought of losing her newly gained freedom along with her mate before she could truly know either gave that strength a direction. She forced the scream from her throat as the spell holding her snapped under the force and desperation of her power. The caster turned in time to be struck by a molten wrecking ball of raw demonic energy.

* * *

Lois couldn't believe her eyes as she watched Morgan Le Fey go flying into the food court's Burger Fool. "Man, I'm not sure Perry is going to believe this," she said aloud. That strange shockwave that accompanied Maeve's transformation was still tingling through every nerve in the reporter's body like an espresso's worth of caffeine. Unfortunately, it had rendered Mercy, and probably her security team, unconscious.

"Says the reporter who once wrote about a giant monkey," stated the demon from behind her. Causing her to jump. The wave didn't seem to have affected him though he was now free of the tentacle thing he had been wrestling with.

"I wasn't talking to you," she snapped, "and he was a chimpanzee."

"Then why were you talking at all?" he said with no interest in her answer as he chewed on what looked like some sort of jerky and cautiously watched the demoness that, a few moments ago, had been Jimmy's new girlfriend.

"OK Mr. grumpy. Care to clue me in on what's going on?" Lois was beginning to see why this member of the League never attended any of the PR events.

"No."

"Tough. I've got questions. You've got answers. So talk."

"If you were a normal human I wouldn't have to."

"Oh come on," she scoffed. Snatching the jerky that was sticking out of his mouth. "I've interviewed demons before."

He turned to glare at her. "First, the Blue Devil is naught but a pup and was once human. Second, after that wave of demon energy you should be as talkative as this woman is now," he nodded his head towards the unconscious form of Mercy Graves. "Instead you're annoyingly awake." His attention shifted from the demon girl to Lois. "Why _are_ you awake?" he inquired. His tone shifting from annoyed to curious as he studied and sniffed her closely. Too closely. Like a scientist bloodhound dissecting a scent.

"Back off brimstone breath!" she said as she pushed him away. He grabbed her left hand and licked it before letting her reclaim the appendage. "OK, that, you have to explain!"

Etrigan contemplated the taste of Lois like it was a fine wine before he answered, "There is a taint of demonic possession about you. I had to taste you to be sure what kind."

"You could have asked. Besides, shouldn't we be more concerned about Maeve?"

"Mortals don't always know about their demon encounters. Fortunately, you were possessed by a mindless minion of Karkul, and that was a few years back, so the residue only protected you from the wave. As for the child, her demon self is still new to freedom so she's going to be feral until the two minds connect with each other. And having been confined for her entire life she has an energy buildup to work off. If we approach her too soon she'll react like any other threatened animal."

"What about Jimmy?"

"Who?" Etrigan looked over at the demoness, who was now bent over Jimmy's body. Almost like a mother lioness checking over her cub. "Ah, the boy who threw the tray at the witch," he said as if both impressed and amused by the action. "My daughter seems to be fond of him even in her present form. If he's not already dead he should be fine in her care while she calms down. Unless some hero does something stupid." He cast a quick glance at Superman.

* * *

Superman extracted himself from the fried remains of the thing Morgan Le Fey had attacked him with. The after effects of its embrace reminding him of the many times he'd recovered from kryptonite exposure. "And here I was hoping for an ordinary convention," he muttered as he detached a fried tentacle from an embarrassing area. Once again thankful that his mother had made his outfit so durable. The shockwave of energy had reduced the creature to a mass of calamari jerky.

He had recovered from the creature's draining grasp with only a fuzzy recollection of seeing Maeve transform from a lovely young girl into a blue Cro-Magnon supermodel. If this was a further manifestation of the magic she had shown earlier or something Morgan Le Fey had caused he couldn't be sure. Whatever the case, she was now doing something to his pal and he had to look into it. He flew over to talk with the creature.

The demoness noticed him just as he landed and took up a possessive posture over Jimmy. A low feline growl of warning coming from her throat.

"Easy girl. I just want to check on my friend," Superman said in his most soothing voice as he slowly approached her with his hands out like he had done with animals on the farm. The growl turned into a hiss as she swiped at him with black claws that seemed to extend as she swiped. Only his super speed saved him from some nasty cuts. "OK, so you remember Jimmy, but not me," he observed aloud. "This could be difficult."

Before he could decide on an alternative strategy the demoness grabbed Jimmy and roared. Somehow opening a portal between herself and the man of steel. The stunning effect of her roar combined with the lethargy he was still feeling from the tentacle thing gave her enough time to jump through the portal with Jimmy. It snapped shut behind her. Leaving behind the smell of ozone and burnt rubber. Superman hoped his pal's shoes were the only part that hadn't made it through completely.

* * *

Jimmy was brought slowly to consciousness by a strange cat like tongue licking his ear. "Grimalkin. Knock it off," he scolded sleepily. Then his brain booted up further and he realized several things. He wasn't at his parents' house where that gray cat claimed dominance. Grimalkin licked noses. And even though he was a large mass of feline muscle he wasn't the size of a mountain lion!

He woke the rest of the way and slowly turned his head. A sleeping blue demon licked his nose. Years of working with Lois Lane had taught him when to stifle his screams. Moving as little as possible he looked around and assessed the situation. Somehow he was in his own bed with a blue demon lightly cuddling him like a teddy bear. Slowly he moved himself out from its slender yet muscular arm, being very careful not to wake it as he moved. He had made it out of the bed and had just reached the foot, giving him a straight shot to the door, when the demon woke up and yawned. Revealing canines that were a bit too long and pointy for his comfort. It then began to stretch in ways that revealed both gender and flexibility. He was dealing with a very female demon who was a natural contortionist. Blue skin aside there was a primal beauty about her.

As she stretched into a standing position her red eyes opened and locked onto Jimmy's as if she knew exactly where he was. She smiled in that joyful, innocent way that only children seem to have. A smile that was made disturbing by the teeth he had noticed earlier.

* * *

The demoness woke up feeling better than she had her entire life. Her instinctive teleportation had knocked her out, but all she needed was a brief nap to recover. She still didn't know who she was or what had happened, nor did that matter to her yet. All that mattered was that she and her mate were safe here. So she took the time to enjoy her stretch. After being confined, immobile and incomplete for longer than see could remember, the pure pleasure of unrestrained movement was almost overwhelming. She was still missing part of herself, the part that had been free while she was confined and was now asleep within her, but she knew on a subconscious level that she and her other self would soon be one self. She could sense her mate's presence and made sure he was the first thing she saw when she opened her eyes.

He was not the most powerful of mates, but he was hers and seeing him restored and awake filled her with such joy that she couldn't contain herself. She crouched and bounded off the bed. Turning in midair so she could land facing him. Unfortunately she landed badly and tumbled into the sliding closet door. Knocking it off its track so that it fell on top of her. She snarled in annoyance at her own clumsiness, in front of her mate no less, she smashed the offending thing before standing and facing her mate. As she did so she became aware of his emotions. He was afraid. Turning she saw the source of his fear and lunged.

* * *

"Didn't any of your life on the farm teach you how to approach a wild animal?" Etrigan snapped at Superman when he and the Lane woman got close enough to talk to him without shouting. In his mind shouting was for combat and this was not the time to bash the hero, though he could vent his anger at the man's stupidity.

"I was worried about Jimmy and I approached the way I would a strange dog or cat," Superman said in his defense. "How was I supposed to know she could teleport?"

"He has a point Etrigan," Jason said in the demon's head.

"Hey lay off Hellboy," Lois said at the same time Jason was speaking. "A few minutes ago that blue ogre was a teen girl that our friend has a crush on. How were any of us supposed to know Morgan Le Fey would cause her to Hulk like that, much less that she could pull a disappearing act?"

Etrigan turned on her. "First, my name is Etrigan, not Anung Un Rama so don't call me Hellboy. Second, if Maeve's demon form had been triggered by rage, the way Banner's rage triggers his transformation, then this city would already be a new Pompeii. From what I remember, her change was triggered by a far more unpredictable emotion."

"And what emotion would that be?" Superman asked, partially to direct the demon's attention away from Lois.

"Love," he stated. " She was fighting to protect your friend in both forms. Clearly Maeve's feelings for that boy have grown strong enough to both release and influence her demon."

"So because Maeve had a crush on Jimmy…Smufettezilla has a crush on him?" Lois was clearly skeptical.

"And given the depth of that 'crush'," Etrigan continued, if he rejects her in her demon form there is no telling what she will do to this city in her rage."


	10. Secrets Revealed

**Secrets Revealed **

Volcana Awoke feeling like she had lost a fight with Killer Frost (which always ended in being frozen), gotten flash thawed, and then downed a double espresso. Slowly she remembered what had happened. She had met up with that Olsen kid and his girlfriend Maeve while trying to find the movie mucky muck she was hoping to impress. Then along came the Arthurian cosplay reject claiming to be Morgan Le Fey. An elemental battle started when Volcana tried to stop the woman from kidnapping Maeve. That ended when the fire Elemental got frozen inside an ice monster and then thawed out when that demon dodged a blast from the witch. She lost consciousness after that so she didn't know where the espresso feeling came from. Nor why everything was tinged blue.

She got to her feet and looked around. Not noticing the burn marks she was leaving every time she touched something. There was no sign of Jimmy, Maeve, or that fashion flashback in the gold mask, but she did see Superman and that yellow demon talking with Lois Lane so she flew over to try and get some answers. Flying seemed to take less effort than she was used to, but she managed to keep enough control not to embarrass herself when she caught their attention.

"Hey heroes. What did I miss while I was out?" she said as she landed. Something about her appearance seemed to catch them by surprise and it wasn't just her return to consciousness.

"Volcana? Is that you?" Superman asked with a note of uncertainty.

You see any other smokin' hot fire elementals at this convention?" she replied. "Why? Did that Ice monster ruin my hair or something?" she said as she ran her hands through it to try and assess the damage and wished she had a mirror handy. .

"No, but you do look like flambé smurf," Lois commented with raised eyebrows and a small smirk.

""What?" Volcana looked at her hand and for the first time noticed it was burning blue. Specifically she was the same color as the flame from a cutting torch and was probably radiating enough heat energy to melt metal before it even touched her hand. Now that she was aware of it she reigned in the heat enough to be safe company, but she couldn't manage to change back to her normal flame color. "OK, care to tell me why I'm hotter than I've ever been before?"

"For most of the humans here the demonic wave from Maeve's transformation caused an overload that knocked them out," the demon said while looking everywhere but at her. "Since you're a fire elemental, you absorbed the wave and channeled it into your powers. Hence the new look. Maeve's earlier wave is what revived you after your first clash with Morgan Le Fey."

"What do you mean demonic wave? What does that kid have to do with demons?" Volcana looked around. "Where is Maeve anyway? I don't see Jimmy either. That witch didn't get them did she?"

"From what I saw, Maeve went monster, sent Morgan Le Fey flying into the burger fool, and then disappeared with Jimmy," Lois provided.

"Yes. She used a howl portal. An unpredictable form of teleportation that works on instinct rather than thought," the demon explained with distaste. "This soon after her first demonic transformation her mind is too feral to have teleported any other way."

"So where will her instinct take them Etrigan?" Superman's concern was clear.

"To where she feels safe," Etrigan replied.

"Great. So we wake her mother and ask politely where the castle is." Volcana generated a blue fireball to illustrate what she considered a polite way of asking.

"Entertaining as that would be," Etrigan said. The look on his face similar to that of a man giving up something fun for something important. Though the demon still seemed uncomfortable looking at Volcana for some reason. "It would be a wild goose chase costing us time we can't spare. Were Maeve still human Le Fey might have a guess as to where the child might consciously go to ground." Volcana noted that he said Le Fey as if it rhymed with scum. Old girlfriend perhaps? "But in the girl's current state a scientist would have a better chance of predicting the actions of an escaped lab rat."

"I can certainly identify with that," Volcana stated. Thinking of her time as a secret government science project. "If that witch treated such a sweet kid like Maeve as a lab animal then I'm surprised she didn't run away sooner."

"It's not Maeve that was caged," Etrigan snarled. "At least no more than any other princess in one of your softened fairy tales. What Le Fey caged was our daughter's demon heritage. A foolish and dangerous thing to do especially given the girl's bloodline. Now that part is free and until we find where she has run, the fate of this city may rest in the hands of the boy she took with her."

* * *

Jimmy watched as the blue demoness lunged towards her reflection in what his roommate called the Olsen posing mirror. She stopped just before crashing into it as she realized there was something strange about the creature she saw in it. It was almost as if he could feel her confusion as she watched her reflection mimic her movements. Slowly she seemed to realize that the monster she had intended to fight was her own image.

The young photographer somehow felt her sadness and knew she had been trying to protect him. She had sensed or smelled his fear and attacked what she had thought was the threat. She turned to look at him. Silently asking, "are you afraid of me?" Her fearsome features somehow producing a hurt puppy expression. A strangely familiar hurt puppy.

"Maeve? Is that you?" he asked tentatively. She was wearing the same jeans and Got Milk? T-shirt that Maeve had been wearing at the convention, though they looked tighter on the athletically built demoness. She also had the same red hair. But as soon as the words left his mouth Jimmy somehow new that he was both right and wrong. As if he was living in a comic book and had just called the Hulk Bruce Banner or O.M.A.C. Buddy Blank. This demoness shared the same body with Maeve, may even be a repressed part of Maeve's mind, yet they were still separate personalities with different forms. Jimmy just hoped his slip didn't cause problems. Because if she didn't know about Maeve, or worse, didn't at least tolerate her. Then he could be in serious trouble.

* * *

The demoness stared at her mate. The glow of her eyes shifting as she slowly deciphered the sounds, no… words, which he had produced. She could still sense his fear, but it had changed and was now mixed with puzzlement and concern. From his words he seemed to think she was her other self. The self that had been free. The human self that had known him first. The demoness knew now that he was afraid of her. Was it her other self that he loved? She shook her head. These emotions were confusing to her, but she knew she had to make him understand. "Maeve. Not Maeve," she said carefully. Trying to put into unfamiliar words a concept she barely understood by instinct. "Same. Different. Torn. Shouldn't be different! Should be same!" She clutched her head and growled in frustration. She knew her words were coming out wrong but didn't know what was wrong with them. She sensed rather than saw his approach and then felt a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"It's OK Rosiera. I understand," her mate said. "I may not know all the details yet but I understand."

As soon as the meaning of his words became clear to her the demoness looked at her mate with joy and surprise. Not only did he understand what she had tried to say, he knew her name. She didn't even know what a name was until he spoke hers. But now she did. She knew what names were, the power the right one could have. All this poured into her mind almost faster than she could understand. And he knew her name! His name burst joyously from her lips as she tackled him in a hug. Locking lips with him as they fell backwards onto the bed. 

* * *

Etrigan studied his long time adversary as she lay unconscious in a spill of fast food. Her clothes were burned through in places from the blast she had taken from Maeve. Or rather, from the feral demon that was the girl's inheritance from Etrigan. Fortunately for him and Jason, Le Fey's still steaming chest plate saved her from death. By the words of Merlin's spell they were bound until they vanquished the witch. So if someone else killed her they were stuck for eternity. Similar concerns kept him from killing her like this. Neither one would put it past the old magician to put in consequences for any attempts at an easy out. But killing Jason's old lover wasn't the only thing on their minds at the moment.

"Why are we still over here?" Jason asked from within Etrigan's head.

"We're checking to make sure the witch still lives," Etrigan stated as he munched on some spilled fries. Though he was uncomfortably sure he knew where the former knight was going with the conversation.

"We've done so. She's banged up from being blasted into the lunch specials but her chest plate protected her from the blast and her hairdo kept her from getting a concussion."

"Probably enchanted to stay perfect," the demon scoffed.

"So why don't we rejoin the others?" Jason finished as if his partner hadn't spoken. After everyone had compared notes on the situation and Etrigan had told them what he knew about Maeve and her volatile condition, they began to discuss what to do next. The discusion somehow became an argument between the reporter and the fire elemental over which of them would be left behind. Etrigan took the opportunity to check on Morgan Le Fey while Superman tried to settle things between the women.

"I get more amusement watching that fool of a hero try to settle this from afar," Etrigan said too dismissively for Jason to believe him. "We can't do anything until we have some idea of where our daughter went with the boy so I might as well get some chuckles while we wait."

"Except you've been glancing secretly when you usually glare openly and every time it looks like Volcana might glance this way you make sure you're not looking in their direction. If I didn't know you better I'd say you were acting like a squire with a crush." Etrigan could hear the sly smirk in his companion's voice.

"Which version of Beauty and the Beast have you been watching while I was asleep?" It was a rhetorical question since few demons slept.

"Come on Etrigan. You once kissed Queen Elisabeth the First."

"She was still just a princess at the time."

"So why are you so uncomfortable around that woman?"

Etrigan sighed. "she was infused with demonic power. Generating heat like a cutting torch is only one of the side effects. She's unconsciously giving off sexual energy like a cat in heat. It's taking considerable will power to resist it and were it not for the problem at hand I wouldn't bother. If I make eye contact with her like this we may both lose control."

"Why isn't Superman affected?"

"He is. But his mind is disciplined through having to control his power and his heart is tied to the raven haired reporter for some reason. So he may not even know he's resisting."

"And Miss Lane?"

This was met with an amused chuckle. "Hard to say if the clash between her and the elemental is because of the energy, or the natural clash of two alpha females in competition."

* * *

"You're just sniffing after a story!"

"Oh and your intentions are pure? You're a criminal superhuman!"

"Former criminal!" Volcana stated. Her blue flames flaring with her temper.

_"How do I get into theses situations?"_ Superman thought to himself as he stood between his girlfriend and Volcana, whom many in the league called his _other_ secret crush when they thought he wasn't listening. He had been Volcana's parole sponsor and some of the league members had gotten the wrong idea. Right now the almost animalistic expressions of both women were starting to scare him.

"At least _I_ have powers. Your only power is the ability to attract superheroes by getting in trouble. Jimmy's the one in trouble and we already have two heroes here so **who needs you!**"

At that moment Superman heard the high frequency alarm of Jimmy's watch and breathed a sigh of relief. "Etrigan! I got a signal from Jimmy!"

The demon walked over to the group carrying Morgan Le Fey over his shoulder as if she weighed nothing. Once he reached them he dumped her on the ground like a sack of potatoes.

Volcana cast a blue glowing glare at the sorceress. "We're not taking that woman with us are we?"

Etrigan snarled and kicked his prisoner. "Jason and I have been hunting her since before Columbus redefined seasickness. I'll keep her out of sight of our quarry if possible, but I'm not leaving her behind."

"Well that fills our useless baggage slot. Looks like you're out of luck Lane," Volcana sneered.

Lois moved around Superman to get in Volcana's face. "Listen you Bunsen burner with boobs. There is no way I'm getting left behind on this one."

"Back off Lane. Or else."

Lois laughed at the cliche threat. "Or else what?"

In response the fiery vixen kissed the reporter on the lips. It was hard to tell who looked more shocked when the kiss broke but it was Lois who backed away. When she was far enough away to be within the demon's reach he grabbed her between the shoulder and the neck Somehow causing her to collapse onto the floor.

"What just happened?" Superman demanded. He was clearly as perplexed as Volcana seemed to be by the sudden actions.

"Never seen two women kiss before?" Etrigan commented as he tore the metal legs off one of the destroyed tables and used them to bind Morgan Le Fey's arms and legs.

"I meant why did they kiss and what did you do to Lois?" Superman was still shocked by the kiss, but recovering from it faster than Volcana.

"Vulcan neck pinch. The kiss you'll have to ask them about." Etrigan glared at Superman for asking stupid questions. Though he suspected the glare was more out of principal than annoyance. "Didn't you say you heard from the boy?"

"He activated his signal watch. Can't give you an exact location yet, but he's close."

"Good enough. Let's go." Etrigan moved to pick Morgan back up.

"Wait. What about them?" Superman gestured to the unconscious people around them, though he was particularly concerned about Lois. She wasn't going to be happy when she woke up and he was going to be facing her formidable temper as Clark.

"They'll wake up with a slight buzz in a few minutes. Unless that boy does something stupid before my daughter has safely dispersed her excess energy. In either case we don't have to worry." The demon cocked his head as if listening to a voice only he could hear before reluctantly saying, "You have a point Jason." He then turned his back and began to cast a spell. "Through magic's power I repair and restore. Make things as they were before." Superman watched as the damage done during the fight seemed to reverse itself until the only evidence of anything strange was that one table was missing. The legs of that table were still binding Morgan Le Fey so the unused remains seemed to simply vanish. Superman had often heard Dr. Fate talk about how magically removing things was easier than generating them and figured the demon was conserving energy.

Volcana, having finally snapped out of the shock caused by the kiss, walked over to Etrigan. "Remind me to invite you to my next party. Your magic makes cleanup a breeze."

"I'm not finished," he replied as he began a new spell. "All that you saw, you no longer know. All you will remember, is a great show." Balls of smoky yellow light shot out from his fingers and seemed to multiply exponentially as they sought out everyone who was asleep. One of them disappeared into Lois. "There. They will wake up unaware that they had even fallen asleep and will have no memory of anything strange." He eyed a banner written in Klingon and amended his words. "Well, nothing stranger than one would expect at these gatherings. Abandoned belongings will be reclaimed and those that actually saw the fight will remember it as something clearly staged. A surprise show to make this gathering more interesting."

"What about Lois?" Superman lifted his partner into a chair. "How am I going to explain…?"

"You won't," Etrigan stated before the hero could finish. Placing two claws against the reporter's forehead he quickly modified the spell. "There. Now your woman will remember that Maeve got sick so Clark and Jimmy took her home. As with everyone else, her mind will provide the details so the memory will feel true." He walked back over to where he had dumped Le Fey. "We've wasted too much time on cleanup. Let's go." He picked up his prize and jogged toward the elevators on the other side of the food court area. Forcing the other two to follow. Volcana paused briefly to pick up Maeve's purchases. Earning her a puzzled look from Superman.

"What? Seeing the fruits of her shopping spree might help Maeve return to normal."

* * *

Morgan Le Fey suffered the indignity of being carried by her long term adversary. Grateful for the limited protection her chest plate provided against his rough and disrespectful handling. They thought her unconscious and for the moment the advantage of that outweighed her royal pride. She needed them to find her daughter. The planets were nearly in the right alignment for the extraction ritual for which the child had been created. The ritual that would restore her son's mind and youth.


	11. Bonds and Bloodlines

**Bonds and Bloodlines**

Maeve awoke from a dreamless sleep feeling strangely weightless, yet tethered. Did she somehow fall asleep on the astral plain? Her mother said that was impossible, but it was the first explanation that came to mind and the weightless sensation was similar. Slowly, using the training Mother had drilled into her at the start of every magic lesson, especially the ones that dealt directly with the mind, she gained control of her thoughts and focused herself. Finding her center almost by reflex. She remembered the convention. The clash with her mother. Trying to heal Jimmy.

Her heart pulsed. Jimmy! She couldn't remember healing him completely. Was he still alive? One of the two tethers on her astral form flared to life and she could feel his heartbeat as naturally as her own. He was alive and fully healed. But how? And why were they now connected?

She looked around and realized that she wasn't on the astral plane. She was deep within her own mind. So deep the mental world around her more closely resembled natural catacombs then the castle corridors she was used to. But like catacombs beneath a castle this place had always been beneath the surface of her mind. She noticed a familiar seal nearby and floated to it. It was the seal her mother had taught her to maintain in order to keep her demon contained. But it was almost shattered beyond recognition. The pieces were slowly dissolving back into the energy the seal had been originally forged from. She touched one of the pieces and was flooded with memories of the event that had caused the seal to break. The defeat of her friends when they tried to protect her from her mother. The strain as she struggled beyond her limits to both heal Jimmy and shield him from her mother.

The overwhelming rush of power as the seal broke and the demon within her answered a desperate cry for help. The details were fuzzy after that, but Maeve knew her demon had done what she couldn't. Had defeated their mother and somehow healed their knight. The other tether flared and she felt the word "mate" enter her mind. Did her demon just correct her?

She turned her attention to the tethers. The one that connected her to Jimmy was thin but strong. Like the guide line her mother used to use during lessons to keep Maeve anchored to the physical plain. But this felt more solid. As if she would always be connected to him, and him to her, as long as she wished it. She could feel his heartbeat but was too deep within her own mind to sense his emotions or thoughts without some effort. It wasn't a lifeline, like she would have with her body if this was the astral plain, so breaking it could be painful, but not fatal.

The other tether was thicker and felt almost like a lifeline. Now that she was focused on the thicker tether she could feel thoughts and energy flowing from her to the demon that now controlled her body. The thoughts weren't memories in the normal sense. They were too basic for that. They were information, language skills, basic magic, and other things so old she couldn't remember a time she didn't know them. Nor was the flow one way. She felt as much flowing into her as out. Energy that felt like sweet fire. Primal memories of a lifetime in lightless confinement that were broken only by echoes of Maeve's strongest emotions as they filtered through the barrier over the years. She had to shift her focus elsewhere to keep from being overwhelmed. The energy was almost painfully invigorating. Like a bath that was just a little too hot but would feel so good once the body adjusted. The memories were the cause of her worst childhood nightmares! The reason she still couldn't sleep without a candle or other form of light in her room at night and why she often had destructive panic attacks in her closet and similar small spaces. What could this demon possibly have done to deserve such confinement? And what was it doing now that it was free?

* * *

Jimmy was feeling a full body blush coming on, his second one today, as he tried to politely fend off Rosiera's amorous advances while she kissed, licked, rubbed, and otherwise caressed him like a dancer from the Broadway show Cats that had gone too deep into character. The fact that they were still on his bed didn't help. He was glad he had taken the precaution of activating his signal watch before he offered the words of comfort that somehow triggered this passionate attack. He wasn't sure he could have done it with a hyper affectionate blue demoness all but grinding herself on top of him. Fortunately their respective clothes were still a barrier but it would only be a matter of time before she either figured them out or shredded them beyond recognition.

"Um Rosiera?" he managed between her kisses and licks. "I do like you, but your knee is on my bladder so I need to go to the bathroom. Like now!"

His words made their way through her attentions and she hastily got off him. Her cheeks were blushing purple as he rushed to the bathroom and tried not to slam the bathroom door in his haste. He hoped that she understood his need for privacy. The bathroom break was only a short reprieve though and as his bladder emptied he tried to think of what he could do to avoid another smothering embrace without getting himself disemboweled, or worse, by a demon scorned. He remembered how Maeve had enjoyed watching DVDs and hoped Rosiera had similar tastes.

* * *

Meanwhile the young photographer's would be rescuers were making their way to his apartment building. Their progress was slowed by Etrigan's leapfrogging via portals from building to building and Volcana's inability to match Superman's speed even with the demonic power boost. The Man of Steel could have been there and back but needed the demon's knowledge of how to deal with a feral demon. Previous experience prevented him from offering to carry his yellow skinned teammate and a direct portal was not an option since Superman hadn't confirmed the location of Jimmy's watch signal. Merely the direction.

"I wish that fool of a hero would just carry me," Etrigan muttered as he formed a portal to the next building. Since the portals were line of sight from building to building they were quick and easy so they were still making good time with a negligible drain in power. But the lag between portals was noticeable.

"You refuse to be carried in his arms and there is no way he'll carry you piggyback after last time." Jason felt embarrassed just thinking about that incident. "Besides, you're carrying Morgan Le Fey. With her added weight these portals might actually be as fast as flying." The demon just muttered something about how humans couldn't take demon humor as he emerged from the portal and sighted the end point for the next one. Shifting his prize as he did this so her weight was more comfortable on his shoulder.

They arrived at the target quicker than expected and regrouped at the roof access of the apartment building.

"This is where Maeve took Jimmy?" Volcana asked as she landed and set down the bags she had been carrying for Maeve. "Not what I was expecting for a demon love nest."

"My daughter was thinking safety, not appearance when she instinctively transported herself and her prize here," Etrigan growled while trying to keep the fire elemental and love nest out of the same image. The pheromones she was unconsciously producing, a side effect of the demonic energy she had absorbed, were playing heck with his self-control and their recent exertions getting here didn't help. The more she used her powers the stronger those pheromones became and flight was a considerable use of those powers. Even Superman, with his decades of constant control, would soon have trouble resisting her.

"How did she even know to come to Jimmy's apartment?" Superman asked as he walked over to and opened the roof access door. "It's her demon side that's in control now and, from what you told us, Morgan Le Fey sealed it at birth."

"The seal leaked," Etrigan stated as they made their way down the steps. "The two sides of the girl are so connected that to seal her demon heritage away completely would have required going deep into the most primal part of Maeve's mind. A dangerous task for both mother and child and made even more difficult by the fact that the witch is too obsessed with her own royal nobility to bother acknowledging that part of herself. So on an instinctive emotional level the two halves of Maeve's soul remain linked. Not enough to relieve the pressure buildup behind the seal, but enough for them to share emotions and some of the images that go with those emotions. Which is why she knew Jimmy and where to run. Those would be the strongest emotional images when she broke free. Maeve probably grew up having nightmares about what her demon half was going through."

"So what do we do when we get to Jimmy's apartment?"

"Those of us who can, should pray the boy calmed her down enough for us to approach her. The fact that this block hasn't been leveled is a good sign but by no means a sure one."

"Anyone ever tell you that you stink at confidence building?" Volcana quipped. Seeming to roll her eyes at the demon. With the way her eyes glowed blue it was hard to tell.

"If you lack confidence then remain in the hall until we call you. We do not have the luxury of coddling the fearful and her reaction to it could be… problematic."

"And your sunny personality will give her the warm fuzzies?" She turned to Superman. "I'm guessing he doesn't have a big fan club."

"Both of you should be quiet," he replied as they reached the top apartment floor. "Jimmy's apartment is only a few doors down and I don't know how good demon hearing is when they're feral."

"She feels safe so her hearing will be on par with a human's," Etrigan said thoughtfully. "Which way to the boy's…" Before he could finish they heard an inhuman squeal coming from down the hall.

"This way," the man of steel said as he rushed to and through the third door on the right. Barely slowing enough to avoid smashing it as he did so. A loud hiss followed as the demon and the elemental caught up and looked through to find their quarry in a defensive crouch between Superman and Jimmy with her claws extended and glowing. She was clearly ready to spring at the slightest provocation and, despite his earlier rush; Superman was trying not to give her that.

"Rosiera calm down," Jimmy said as he put a restraining hand on her shoulder and carefully moved between her and his pal. "Superman is a friend. He's here to help."

"Jimmy. Are you alright?" Superman kept a wary eye on the demoness, apparently named Rosiera, as he spoke. She seemed to be calmed by his friend's words and touch, but he wasn't taking chances yet. "I heard a noise and thought you were in trouble."

"The noise was just Rosiera reacting to something on the DVD we were watching." They both glanced at the TV where an episode of Space Rangers was still playing. "I'm a bit fuzzy on what happened at the convention but otherwise I may be even better than I was when I got up this morning."

"She probably gave you something extra when she healed you," Etrigan said with a lewd grin as he entered the room after dumping his longtime foe in the hall. Rosiera watched him but made no overtly threatening moves. Volcana received a snarl when she entered as the demoness moved possessively closer to Jimmy. The elemental just gave the demoness an appraising look followed by a sly wink at Jimmy.

Jimmy put his arm around Rosiera's shoulders as he turned to face his unexpected guests. "Is that how I knew her name without her telling me?"

"You probably received more than just her name, but yes." Etrigan studied the two of them as closely as he dared. Noting that his daughter, when she wasn't crouching defensively, was just a bit taller than the boy. Then he cautiously addressed Rosiera. "Can you describe what you did to heal your mate?" Jimmy looked like only his instinct for survival kept him from protesting the term mate, but Rosiera seemed to perk up at the acknowledgement of her relationship with her young prize and relaxed as she tried to recall that moment.

"Couldn't think then," she said with some effort. "Only knew things. Felt them. Couldn't think them. Remembering hurts."

"You were operating on instinct," Etrigan explained. He could be surprisingly gentle when the situation required it and since his daughter still had enough raw power built up from her confinement to level the city, possibly down to the bedrock, he was being very careful. "Just take it slow. You had just taken out the threat to Jimmy and were bending over his body."

"Jimmy hurt. Can see life flame getting smaller. Dimmer. Is bad!" Her voice took on a note of panic as she relived the moment. Jimmy did his best to sooth her.

"Focus Rosiera," Etrigan said calmly. "You did not panic then. You saved Jimmy. Tell us what you did."

"Jimmy life flame small and dim. Rosiera life flame big and bright. Touch together. Make Jimmy flame big and bright." She smiled at Jimmy. "Prettier too."

"I bet you did," Etrigan suppressed a proud papa expression as he explained to the others. "To save the boy's life she shared her life essence or life flame as she perceived it, with his."

"So what? They're soul mates now?" Volcana was clearly skeptical. Superman quickly hid what looked to the demon like a victory expression. Perhaps the hero had a vested interest in the boy's love life.

"Something like that," he said aloud though what he thought to Jason was, "more like he's her familiar now, but saying that could cause a reaction that we don't need."

"So now that we know why I'm alive," Jimmy gave Etrigan a worried look. "You'll tell me about any side effects I should be concerned about right?" Etrigan nodded while contemplating how he could amuse himself with the boy's wording. Taking the nod at face value Jimmy continued. "How do we change Rosiera back to Maeve?"

Rosiera immediately moved away from her mate with an expression that could easily change from hurt puppy to enraged Rottweiler if the next few seconds went badly.

Saving his contemplation on the photographer's suicidal lack of intelligence for later, Etrigan hastily stepped in before the boy could further upset the demoness he was bound to. "Calm down child. Your mate doesn't know what his words mean to you."

"He loves other self! Not this self!" She said through building tears. Her hands were taking on a glow that would prove dangerous for Jimmy and probably anything between him and the next block over. "Maeve not Rosiera! Maeve was weak and could not heal him! I healed him but he loves her!"

The improvement in Rosiera's speech was noted as a positive but not yet hopeful sign as Etrigan moved between his daughter and her foolish mate. This was done more to shift her focus than to protect the boy as the demon fully intended to dive out of the way should his words prove ineffective. Encasing her in a shield at this point would only panic her and he wasn't sure how she would react to a shield around anyone else. "You and she are two halves of the same whole. He can't love her without loving you." Etrigan hoped his deception proved true. He didn't want to see the city leveled. "But he is still human and needs to be sure that both of you are OK."

"Don't want to go back behind seal. Dark in there. Can't move."

"The seal is broken. Maeve cannot create a new one. You cannot be trapped again and will share all that Maeve experiences. I know because I too have a human side and when he is in control I am free to share in his life just as he is free to share mine."

"Whether we like it or not," Jason added sourly.

"But Jimmy will only see Maeve." Rosiera seemed to have calmed down but still didn't like the idea of changing back and giving Maeve control again.

"You will be able to change back and forth and Jimmy will see you every time he looks deeply into her eyes." It was one of the more subtle signs of a demon presence and many women had broken up with Jason because they saw Etrigan making rude gestures in the knight's eyes. "I will prove it to you." With that he began the mantra that would change him back into Jason Blood. "Gone. Gone the demon Etrigan. Come again the form of man." Rosiera cringed back from the transformation but once it was done she rushed over and grabbed Jason's head so she could stare into his eyes and see Etrigan waving back.

"See?" Jason said as she released him. Grateful that she hadn't snapped his neck in her effort to see Etrigan as recovering from that was always tedious and uncomfortable. "Etrigan was telling the truth and you have nothing to fear from giving Maeve control. The two of you will even feel good about each other once you find a balance." Not that he and his demon had found a balance but he was trying to be optimistic.

Jimmy walked over and cautiously held her hands in his. "I'm sorry for upsetting you, but I want to know if Maeve is OK and thought you would feel the same way. She is kind of like your sister. Isn't she?"

Rosiera seemed to think about it. To call the two personas sisters was perhaps the closest term in English so Jason hoped it was enough. Impulsively she grabbed Jimmy and kissed him deeply. Earning a yell of encouragement from Volcana before the kiss broke. Jason had to stifle an old fashioned fatherly reaction at seeing this. Despite having just met she was still his daughter and he still held to some old traditions. Superman just politely averted his eyes. She then moved away from her scarlet and stunned love to stand before Jason.

"How do I change?" she asked with a mix of courage and fear.

"You'll need to think of a spell to help you focus. The words don't matter, though keeping them consistent will help in the long run as will making it easily reversed so that Maeve can use the same words in a different order to change into you."

"Will it hurt?"

"Like you're being ripped apart in a meat grinder while going from extreme hot to extreme cold in a matter of seconds," Etrigan stated and Jason was glad no one else could hear the demon.

"Only the first few times," Jason replied as honestly as the situation would allow. "It gets easier with practice and we'll be right here to offer help and support." He gave her a reassuring smile.

She stepped back and formed the words in her mind before speaking them. "Be gone the demon oh so brave. Return the mortal form of Maeve." The words were followed by a primal scream as the transformation overtook her. Jimmy rushed over and held her as best he could through the transformation even though he must have felt some fraction of her pain through their link. Neither Jason nor Etrigan had seen such a shift from the outside like this so were as disturbed and fascinated as Volcana while Superman tried to find a helpful position for when the transformation was over. It was more controlled then the first transformation, and didn't generate any great waves of energy, but both the knight and the demon knew from experience how uncomfortable even the most practiced transformation could be.

* * *

Maeve heard the words of the spell like an echo in an empty church and felt a sudden tug from her demon tether. Before she knew what was happening she felt herself being pulled towards the surface of her mind through what felt like swords of fire and ice. She reached the surface gasping for breath and found herself staring into Jimmy's beautiful worried eyes. She had just enough time to register his look of concern and a strange tickle behind her eyes, as if someone was waving weakly, before she passed out with a smile.


	12. Getting Aquainted

**Getting Acquainted**

Lois Lane's body awoke before her mind did and slowly gathered what her implanted memories said she would need to maintain the illusion. Making sure nothing was out of place that would disprove what she was about to remember happening. All around her others affected by Etrigan's spell were doing the same thing. Like a zombie set crew setting the stage before a performance where the audience and the actors were one and the same.

Once everything was in place and everyone had assumed the right positions their minds awoke to remember the battle that most of them had fled from. But not as a magical clash between good and evil. Instead their memories began to shift and flow like wax being melted and reshaped. Changing as people tried to remember details and compare notes until the fight was nothing more than a show to them. Possibly the best live show any of them had ever seen at a convention. Though many would say that the villain's acting was overdone.

"It's too bad the others missed it," Lois said to herself. Mainly because Jimmy's pictures would have really helped add to the article she was going to write. But Maeve had gotten sick from a combination of the excitement and the food served at conventions. Going from healthy food to the high grease and preservatives of most fast food places was a shock she didn't handle well. Despite her almost childlike personality the kid had a temper and could become a real monster when she was sick. A flash of blue skin and red eyes appeared in the reporter's mind but was removed by the spell before she could figure it out. And then not even the memory of trying remained.

Clark had taken both her and Jimmy back to Jimmy's place. Lois remembered handing Clark the keys to her car on the condition that he not scratch it either on the way to Jimmy's or on the way back. At least she thought she had. Then she reached into her bag for her notebook and felt her keys in their usual spot. Puzzled she pulled them out. She could have sworn she had given these to Clark. Her head felt fuzzy as the spell corrected itself. They had taken separate cars of course. Lois hadn't wanted to risk being either stranded or roped in as the driver should something happen. So they had taken separate cars. Hadn't they? Something about that memory still didn't feel right as she absently put her keys back, but it was pushed aside by her next spoken thought. "Hope the kid recovers quickly. I'd hate for her to miss the rest of the convention." True Jimmy finding a girlfriend on his own meant Clark won the bet. But there would be other bets with higher stakes and Lois found herself liking the strange yet simple, innocent runaway despite the fact that she was hiding something.

Lois finished the burger she remembered ordering. She usually didn't order spicy food this early in the day, but she just had a craving and the sauce left a pleasant kiss of heat on her lips. Almost sensual. Like the kiss of another woman. A woman with flaming blue hair. The spell quickly gobbled that thought before it could unravel the false memories it was trying to weave. She continued to contemplate the mystery of Maeve as she chewed. All thoughts of Volcana's kiss sealed away before they could be fully formed. The kid was clearly hiding something more than an overprotective mother. Then Lois saw Mercy and all thoughts of the Maeve mystery were shoved to the back of her mind as she gathered her things and went after the former bodyguard. After all, what secrets could the kid have that could possibly compare to those held by the current head of Lexcorp?

* * *

Jimmy couldn't believe the pain he felt as Roseira transformed back into Maeve in his arms. Her almost leathery blue skin was fading to a soft pale Caucasian as she seemed to shrink from demon to human. The clothes that had stretched to contain one now seemed loose on the other by comparison. Only her hair remained the same. Muscle and bone were being reshaped by forces that seemed to burn and freeze at the same time. Causing them both to cry out in pain. Etrigan had told him that she had linked herself with him to save his life. This was why he could sense her feelings and knew Roseria's name even before she did. But he hadn't realized what the side effects of that link would be until she began her transformation and he started to feel some of what she was going through.

Somehow they both survived the experience and Jimmy saw the smile on Maeve's lips and Roseira's weak but reassuring wave from within Maeve's eyes before she passed out. He was about to join her in unconsciousness when her father, Jason Blood, put a hand on the young photographer's shoulder. Two thoughts ran through his head like a caffeine rush. One was that Maeve's dad was host to Etrigan. The Demon was probably one of the few members of the Justice League scarier than Batman. The other was that this was probably not the best way to meet his girlfriend's father even if that father wasn't connected to a demon. If he wasn't so drained from sharing the experience of the transformation he would probably be panicking right now.

Jason smiled down at him. "You did an impressive job son. Clearly my daughter has good taste in boyfriends."

_ "Great. Now he knows you like him,"_ another voice muttered from somewhere. _"And I was looking forward to seeing you play disapproving father." _The voice crackled like it was coming from an old radio with bad reception or something.

_ "You're her father too,"_ Jimmy heard Jason say as if from that same radio.

_ "Yes but I scare him just by being here. Where's the fun in that?"_ Jimmy quickly realized the phantom voice belonged to Etrigan. Before he could ask about it Superman spoke up.

"How are you feeling Jimmy?"

"like my body doesn't know if it should be fried or frozen," he stated with a weak and unconvincing smile.

"It's a natural feeling," Jason said with an understanding sympathy. "Most demons have a higher body temperature than the average human. During the transformation she was shifting from a comparatively cold body to a comparatively hot one and feeling the change from both perspectives. The transformation also hyper-excites the senses so the contrast is even stronger."

"And I only got a fraction of what she, or they, felt." Jimmy felt a mix of relief, shock, concern, and guilt. On the one hand what he had felt during the change had been more than he thought he could bear and he was sure he couldn't handle it full force. On the other hand his new girlfriend, both sides of her, had taken the full force of it minus whatever fraction had been channeled to him and part of him felt bad about getting off comparatively easy when he wanted to help her through it. "Will they be alright?"

"Both Maeve and Roseira will be fine after some rest. They're probably getting to know each other as we speak." Gently the Arthurian noble took his daughter from Jimmy's arms and handed her over to Superman. "Which room did Roseira teleport the two of you into?"

"My bedroom," Jimmy admitted with a blush. This confession earned him a raised eyebrow from both men, a wolf whistle from the blue fire elemental Jimmy couldn't believe was Volcana, and an ominous chuckle from Etrigan's radio voice. "We didn't do anything but sleep!" he hastily added.

Superman nodded in approval. Volcana gave him a look that was either disbelief or disappointment. Etrigan just grumbled something. Jason's expression was unreadable as he turned back to Superman. "Then that will be where she'll feel safe and comfortable while she rests. Put her in the boy's bedroom please." As Superman went to do just that Jason returned to Jimmy. "It get's easier but this is her first time so she'll be out for a few hours…"

"_If not days,"_ Etrigan interjected.

"Which gives us plenty of time to talk," Jason continued as if Etrigan hadn't spoken. A long practiced skill since only he, and now Jimmy, could hear the demon. "I'm sure you have questions and, as you know my daughter, and Etrigan's, better than I do. I have some questions of my own." Jason's tone reminded Jimmy of the dragon from the TV series Merlin. Wise and caring with a hint of amusement covering an air of authority.

_ "As do I,"_ Etrigan stated from that phantom radio as the two figures sat down. Volcana had disappeared into the kitchen. Apparently to fry spam since the distinctive sound and smell was soon coming forth from there.

_ "Yes, but he can't hear you,"_ Jason's radio voce stated back. Jimmy wondered if he should tell them otherwise or not.

* * *

Superman gently placed Maeve on Jimmy's bed and pulled the rumpled covers over her. It was hard to believe this sweet girl was part demon much less the daughter of Jason, Etrigan, and Morgan Le Fey. Yet the more he looked at her the more he saw the resemblance to Jason and, aside from the dark blue skin and red hair, her alter ego was almost exactly what he pictured a female Etrigan would look like. He wondered what sort of conflict was going on in Maeve's head as he turned to see if his pal needed to be rescued from her human father.

Little did he know that no such conflict was occurring within the young lady's mind. At least not yet. If the landscape of the mind could be said to have atmosphere then the atmosphere of this mind held all the calm of an oncoming storm.

Maeve stood facing her demon in the throne room of her mind. In most respects it resembled the throne room of her mother's castle except it was more modest and where her mother had tapestries of great battles and figures of the old religions decorating the room the tapestries in this room depicted the best and worst moments of her life. From the pride she felt after creating her first golem to the punishment she endured after she lost control of the clay creature and it destroyed the cabinet containing some of her mother's rare spell ingredients.

Warily the two figures watched each other as if each saw the other as something fearful that might attack at any moment. Both with good reason. To Maeve this demoness, whose long unkempt mane of red hair was her only covering, was the monster her mother had told her had to be kept caged until it could be safely removed lest it destroy her and all she held dear. For Roseira this bejeweled princess, whose elegant blue silk ball gown alone was far more finery than the demoness thought practical, was one of two jailers that had kept her caged in complete darkness her entire life. And although the cage was shattered and Maeve had not been the one who forged it, the fear of returning to that darkness remained.

Both had reason to fear the other despite the bond that held them as close as that between two parts of the same body. A bond that was visible here as a golden line that lay on the floor between them. Yet they both had the same reason to feel gratitude. That reason was their love of Jimmy Olsen. For without Maeve's desperate need to save and protect Jimmy, Roseira would never have known him. And without Roseira's equally strong feelings for him, Maeve would have lost the first boy she had ever fallen in love with.

Slowly Maeve began to lower her silk clad arms and relax her stance. Roseira began to do the same. Then one of the tapestries caught the attention of the demoness and she bounded over to it with an awkward grace. The sudden movement almost earning her a fireball from Maeve until she realized Roseira wasn't attacking. Like a child she had impulsively gone to something that caught her eye. In this case it was a tapestry memory depicting one of the few times she had interacted with her brother Mordred. If one could be said to interact with a brother who was little more than a living corpse.

"Mother had gone out to gather supplies for a spell and I wanted to practice some of my transformation magic," Maeve explained as she walked over to study it with her. "And once I was done it seemed a shame for him to be dressed up with no place to go. So I invited him to a tea party with my toys and personal servants."

"Brother looks good in a dress," the demoness observed with a smirk. Her deep voice containing a gentle strength Maeve often wished she could feel in her own alto tones. And the dress was as flattering as any new clothing could possibly be given Mordred's desiccated state. "Mother wasn't happy though."

Maeve looked at Roseira in shock. "You remember that? How?"

"Remember pain," she stated almost as if the memory was as painful as the actual pain had been.

"But the seal…?"

"Leaked," she said after a moment's pause to find the right word. "Strong feelings got through. Sometimes with memories connected with them. Lots of pain."

"I'm sorry." Maeve was appalled. It was one thing to remember the discipline sessions and know she was being punished for a reason. Even if that reason wasn't always clear. It was another to know someone else experienced the pain. Possibly without knowing the reasons for it. She turned away in shame only to feel a clawed hand on her shoulder.

"Not all leaks bad," the blue-skinned creature said. She gestured towards a tapestry of Maeve's first bus ride. A normal experience for most people but a thrill for Maeve since it was the first thing she had done after escaping her mother's castle. Despite her precautions she had expected to be caught and dragged back home at any moment. So she almost memorized every moment of that trip for fear it would be her last. "Many strong feelings here. Some good. Some bad. All mixed. Each brought part of the memory," her tone was the same Maeve often had when she found a rare treasure in the castle. And Maeve realized that these memories were treasures to her.

Maeve couldn't help but smile. The fear of this creature beside her, a fear that had been enforced by her mother's almost ritualistic warnings and worries, was beginning to fade like a child's fear of the monster under her bed. This was her childhood monster but she was slowly becoming a sister to her. And she was glad the barrier between them had leaked good feelings as well as bad. "Do you have any memories you can share?" The question had come out without thinking. A dangerous thing for any user of magic. Particularly when dealing with a demon on a mindscape. Except this demon was part of her.

Roseira frowned. "Before now is one long dark memory. Cold. Alone. Couldn't move. Couldn't scream." She fell to the floor and began to curl into a ball as the room seemed to dim with the weight of a life time lived in darkness. "The only pleasure was yours. The only pain was yours." With each word her voice seemed to become more empty and toneless as her face lost all expression. The darkness was starting to reach towards them like solid ooze.

Maeve could feel the fear and despair pour across their link and she reflexively tried to focus on the mental exercises her mother had taught her to control her emotions as she erected a barrier of light against the encroaching blackness. Panic set in as Roseira's emotions began to disrupt her concentration and destabilize the barrier while the darkness seemed to extinguish the very substance of the throne room. Her modest throne and the stones beneath it disappearing into it like a pebble tossed into a pond. Except the pebble usually left a few ripples as evidence of its passage. The barrier seemed to be holding it at bay but she felt the dark emotions trying to pull her down and knew this meager protection couldn't last long unless she found a way to pull her demon sister out of this dark memory with a good one. "What about Jimmy!"

"Jimmy?" A spark of life returned to her face as a glow appeared in the darkness. Drawing the light barrier towards it and adding strength to it.

"You were with him when I wasn't. You must have some memories of him that are yours and not mine. Some feelings that didn't come from me." The glow solidified into an alabaster statue as the darkness began to crack.

"Jimmy told me my name." With those words Maeve could feel the joy of that simple memory flow through the link like a rush of warm water. Clearing the way for other memories. And with each one the statue became brighter and more defined. "He showed me his living pictures." A memory of cuddling with Jimmy while watching Space Rangers flowed through the link. "Protected me from the man in the cape." She saw Jimmy standing between herself and Clark in his red and blue outfit. "Jimmy is my mate!" Roseira declared with pride as the glowing statue shattered the darkness and restored the throne room. With the darkness gone the demoness was also restored and she quickly jumped to her feet and embraced Maeve in a hug that would have cracked a few bones had they been in the physical world. "Thank you Maeve."

"You're welcome Roseira," Maeve replied as she gently pried herself from the hug. The names coming so naturally to each of them that neither thought to question the knowledge. "But Jimmy is MY knight."

"Your knight. My mate. He loves us both. He said so." She then ran over to the statue her thoughts had created as if the matter was closed. Maeve decided not to push it until later as she walked over.

The statue was a modest but accurate depiction of Jimmy holding his camera as if he was about to take a picture. The warm shy smile Maeve remembered was on his lips. There was no pedestal or platform so it was about the same height as the real Jimmy would be and Maeve was tempted to kiss its cheek. Instead she walked around and examined it. Trying her best to look critical and professional. When she came full circle she waved her hand at the detailed alabaster figure. Dismissing all but his camera and underwear with her gesture. She grinned towards Roseira. "I like him better this way."

Roseira examined the changes and then made a pulling gesture of her own. Increasing the bulge in the underwear. Returning Maeve's grin she said simply, "I touched it."

They both blushed and broke into girlish giggles. Sharing a moment that would be scandalous if they weren't feeling more like sisters each moment.

* * *

Morgan Le Fey could feel her daughter become further contaminated by the demon that had been released within her. Time was running short. The Arthurian sorceress had to make her move now or she would be unable to cleanse the child before the ritual. The demon had to be sacrificed to restore her son but she would at least try to save Maeve before then.


End file.
